₦airaland Forum

Fahad tried to stay calm but his mind was rhapsodic as they drove in a convoy; six Range Rovers, including two security SUVs . He was being accompanied to his new home: a place where he planned to obliterate his retrospective state of abyss despond with bliss revanchsm.
When he arrived home last night, he was met with a surprised package as his friends, family and well-wishers gave his a grand welcome. When they failed to get him on phone, Halima was asked to call him. His sister, Zarah, gave him a hug and dragged him aside for gossip during the house celebration.

His mother had regretted her actions and went after Halima. Halima said she had forgiven them but she was no more interested in getting married to Fahad. Halima had self-pride, and proved it. She confessed to still loving him but she could not get married to him.
It took the intervention of the emir, the State Governor, and prominent Fulani leaders to get her to capitulate. The governor begged her grandfather to let him represent her father and he was to be her waliy and Halima was moved to his house two weeks before the wedding.
His daughters fell in love with her. They took her like a sister and helped with marriage arrangements. Zarah said her lepe ( the boxes of clothes given to bride by bridegroom)were bought from five countries. The jewelleries were from India and Switzerland. Then Aunty Sa'a was sent to Italy for bags, shoes, and designer western wears.

His mother was in Dubai for clothes, veils, underwear, more jewelleries, and then went to Hajiya Maimuna, one of the biggest importers of expensive ankaras, shadda(brocade), leshi (lace), and many other traditional wears in Kano.
Cosmetics, perfumes, and toiletries were from France. Zarah was excited. He was told that the Lepe was transported in five brand new pickup trucks: a 2017 Nissan Titan XD Platinum Reserve, a GCM Sierra 2500 Denali, a Chevrolet Silverado, RAM 3500 Limited Crew Cab then one of the most expensive which was Ford F-450 Platinum. Each truck was fully loaded and the trucks were part of lepe.

The ceremony was grand, with various traditional rites like kunshi, sa lalle, budan kai, and so on. The marital knot which was the most important event was carried out at the central mosque in Taraba. The talk about Wuse was a charade.
His father never loved too much celebration. He said it was prone to bidi'a but who could stop women? There was traditional dance, and a lots of fun. All these happened while he was brooding.

His mother and father had called him, apologized and reproached him for his stubbornness. He was ready to take all the blame in the world, since Halima was his now.

The Taraba state governor was her waliy while Alhaji Bala Muhammadu, a former vice president was his wakil. Halima, her friends and elderly women where brought to her new home that night in Abuja. He did not see her even when she called him to come over. The call was just to get him home so he could be notified and celebrate with friends and families. He wished Damon was around to witness the traditions.
Now, he was being taken to his new home in Maitama District. The house was a mansion built in a plot of land which was two furlong (1320 feet ) by two chains (132 feet). This was two acres of land. The main building was a seven bedroom duplex. What the heck did they need such a big house for? They were just two for crying out loud. But his father always said they started as two and today, he had a full house .Yes, his biological children were just six but counting relatives, workers, they numbered over twenty-nine in the house.

But Fahad loved the space. There was a basket-ball court, an Olympic sized swimming pool, an outdoor gym, a mini football pitch, a garden, and a parking space with over eight posh cars. Well, He was the first child and the first to get married. Besides, when you had billions of dollars, you always found a way to spend them

But they were not going to be just two in the house. There were two personal servants for her, a cook, six security men, two gardeners, and two house helps.
It was fun as his friends and her friends, mostly new found friends from the governor's house, and a few of her old friends had a small party, chat, and as usual some toasting. Fahad nearly laughed as Sparro, his childhood friend, whose real name was Adnan got up to advise them, quoting Qur'an and hadith. Sparro! Baddo! But he could not end it without giving a chip of himself.

" Halima, " Sparro said, " there are angels watching you. If my guy, needs you, don't hesitate fa. Those angels can curse! They will be like Allah ya tsine miki( May Allah curse you). Don't let them do that please and you Fahad..... come on, you should bow when elders are talking," they laughed, "do not use that to blackmail her. Ma guy, dey give am space. No be say you go dey over do am."

Everybody left before 10:00 PM. Fahad had gone out to get some fast food. He got the normal toasted chicken from the roadside then his favourite yoghurt, Bellan Yoghurt.

He drove back home.

2007

Ameena was asked to sit down. She wanted to sit on the floor when a man said, "no. sit on the chair."
She obeyed and wondered what was going on?
The room was very large, with a big wooden chair with lots of carvings and designs.
Then an old man appeared. He was around seventy years old, and for a moment Ameena wondered if he was Lado's father.
He wore embroidered gown over white babariga with a turban.

" Lafiya mai zaki!" He was hailed as he came in. Ameena remembered him as the king when she was small and they visited with her parents.The palace servants, chiefs all kept hailing him and afterwards, they left him alone with her. What was going on?

" Aminatu."the old man said. " You came to the village and you did not bother to come and say hello to me."

She bowed her head.

" No, Baba."

"No, don't call me that! We are alone here. You can call me Baba gwaz."

'Na'am?"

"When we are alone, not in public, call me Baba gwaz. That used to be my sobriquet when I was young. You know how I got the name?"

He redressed his turban, all the sarauta(royal) act gone.

"One day, I was with my friends and a woman was passing by, she had a beautiful daughter and they pulling their ass."

" Na'am?'

"Ass. It is the English name for jaki or you call it donkey but I am used to calling it ass."

" Yeah...sorry, yes..."

" No, don't worry. I am social fa. It is the responsibility on me that make us act as if we don't laugh, move with a stiff body, hardly talking. If you like say yo, wachap!"

" Okay. I think ass is kind out obsolete so we the younger generation see the word from a different angle."

" Yes. But it is good to see it from all angles."

What was wrong with this old man?

" So, as they were pulling their ass, her load fell down and I ran and picked it up for them. When the woman thanked me and saw me looking at her daughter, she asked, what was my name and I said Baba gwaz."He now broke into a hysterical laughter, shaking his head and hitting the arm of the chair, tears in his eyes.

That was when Ameena realized that he felt the story was funny and meant to make someone laugh.

" You see, as you know, I am the king. And you are my subject. So, I want to elevate you. I called you because I want to marry you. You are lucky because many girls want me to make them queens but Allah says it is you that is why you came back."

"Na'am?"

" I want to marry you."

" Me?"

" A'a. You mana. I have told all the chiefs that you are now a royal property. No body must talk to you. You now belong to Baba gwaz."

" But I am still in school. I will be resuming school soon. I am just in my first year."

" No problem. I will marry you and you will continue."

" Allah shi taimake sarki, I have someone I want to marry."

The old man grimaced, astonished and fought the urge to go ballistics. How could she say that to his face? Did she know who he was? Was it easy to become a queen?

" You are talking to the king."

"Let Sarkin Gombe hear you, dakaci. You are not even a district head. Because you find yourself surrounded by fools in a remote village and give the impression that you are a king does not move me an inch." She thought.

" I am sorry, baba. I cannot marry you."

" You cannot marry me? What do you want me to tell my subjects. We were already planning the marriage."

" Toh, Baba, tell them that you don't find me qualified to marry you so you changed your mind."

" Hmmmm....okay. Thank you. Go. Ba komai(no problem). Go."

"Thank you Baba."

She got up and walked out. He stared after her back, observing the movement and vibration that could not completely hide under the veil and he swore. Bakomai!

After she left, he called one of the servants to get Mallam Danasabe.
Mallam Danasabe was a small looking man with a mouth that looked instagram pouting. And he knew how to use that long mouth. If there was anything like the chief gossip of the village, then he was the one.

" I said nobody should talk to her. How come she said she had someone."

Danasabe's mouth pointed up, showing the king how concerned he was.

" There is a boy. He is not from this village. He came with one boy who worship the soil..."

" Subahanallah! pegan?"

" Dan boko menene(what else is a western education scholar) ?"

"No. I disagree. I am one of them. I attended primary seven."

" You are blessed from the womb. Your father recited Alamtara kaifa for you. But them, it is bye-bye they recite for them."

" Worshiping the soil?"

" Allah shi taimake sarki. They have uniform for worshiping the soil. They were cap, munafikai, and some of the women use hijab saboda munafirci."

" Wait...are you talking about NYSC?"

"Yauwa...masu bautan kasa ba."

" Danasabe! Why are you so backward? It does not mean that they literarily worship the soil."

" Toh Yallabai."

"Tell me more."

" He used to come with the NRC boy."

" NYSC."

"Toh. He started coming about two years ago. He put Mallam Bala's grandchildren in school, buy them clothes, food, kayan Sallah, so when this girl came back, I started seeing him with her. He is the one. They would talk and laugh, talk and laugh. How can a woman laugh in the presence of a man? Rashin kunya(shamelessness)!

This pesbu has spoilt our children.."

"What?"

"Pesbu."

"What?" the old man moved his head forward .

"Pesbu. Sashamidiya."

The king laughed.

" Facebook. Social media. Okay, thank you Lado. Does he still come?"

The long mouth extended.

" I saw him in front of the house waiting for her. I saw her walking hurriedly back to meet him. That was how her father was. He left all the schools in this village and went to Gombe to school saboda rashin kishi(because of lack of patriotism) ! Then..." "Thank you very much Danasabe. Go to Kasimu and collect two mudu of gero(two bowls of guinea corn) ."

The long mouth split and a wide grin was produced.

" Allah ja zamani sarki mai talkalmin qarfe."

After he left, The King called one of the dogaris and began to whisper to him.

Meanwhile, Ameena was in a hurry to meet Amaar who texted her that he was around. She could not wait to see him. It was then she saw three girls block her way.
The one in the front was slim, and very tall. Her face was brown with heavy powder application. Then two long lines drawn adjacent to the eyebrows. Some shiny particles adorned the whole face, then fully painted lips.

Her friends wore similar make ups and they all looked very scary. They all held Hausa novels which Ameena had since learnt was a fashion trend which was in vogue among the village girls.
If you were not reading a Hausa novel, then you were not in vogue. Even if you could not read it, hold it.

" Gatanan, the girl is come from city." Said the tall one. " I am Kuluwa yar gidan goshi , a candy, a hot chicken, so no girl is come and show me iskanci. Leave am for my boprend. Leave am for my boprend." She said, rolling her eyes, swaying her thin waist, and pouting.

" What is you?" Kuluwa said. " Nosin. You are nosin, baskat!"

" Excuse me, who is your boyfriend?" Ameena asked.

" Lado Auxiliary."she said proudly.

"E mana." Her friends said and they clapped.

" Lado Amerika." Kuluwa added. " That roba-roba is for me no be you. Ip I see you he is carry you in that roba roba ko,...."

" Sai mun ci ubanki!" One of the friends warned.

Ameena was speechless. What had she done to herself?

They left her after much insults. She shrugged and kept walking.


The king had reached a decision. He knew what to do.

FOURTEEN

Adnan’s discoveries had a limit. He discovered that he was brought into the country by Dr Abbas who was impersonating a Dr Abbas. Adnan felt the real Dr Abbas was his father but there was no record of his mother.
So he backdated his research and looked for Abbas Babangida. The real Abbas Babangida was a University Lecturer and researcher, who was married to an Arabian, both of them were said to have died in a plane crash in Bolivia.
They died with their few months old child.

That was him! These were his parents! He felt tears in his eyes. So he had parents! He had people who loved him. He was not thrown away.
But he did not die as reported, how come Dr Abbas whom he would refer to Aminu from now brought him here to claim he was picked? Why did he give his son a mark which he had? Adnan had no answers to these questions but he was glad with what he just discovered.
He was brought in for a purpose, the blood samples collected and sent abroad, the fact that he was seen as a target made it more confusing.

The journey that led to his current state started one day as he was hacking into one account he saw on Aminu’s site.
Adnan discovered that the account was secured by two hundred security system made by different computer experts and the account underwent constant security upgrading. This made it almost impossible to hack into the account.
Adnan wanted to find out what was there. He did not have his OFA waved PDA so he had to use the radio waves. This was one of the most complicated systems he had ever tried to hack into using conventional system.

He had to use what was called Partitioning Cracking by grouping the security systems and this took him one week.
On that day, he clicked into the account and broke in.
Phew!
What was the account for?
He was yet to begin exploration when he saw someone else click in.
What?
Who was this wizard who also broke into this account? Whoever it was got Adnan scared. This could not be Bas. He had worked with her, he knew she was good but her prowess was not strong enough to hack into this account.

Adnan frowned, his jaw twisting. The person just got in a minute after he did. Okay, he felt jealous now. This was his kill and was not ready to share.
He faced the person. He opened a Thwarting Mode Dispenser and fortified the account walls, then made some manipulations and pressed ‘ tug out’.
The person was pushed out and Adnan quickly used a special root kid program which subverted the control of the person’s operating system.
Done!

He then sent an emoji with a stuck out tongue and one eyes closed.





Detroit, USA

“ I got it!” a young girl, just seventeen years old, said excitedly as she sat behind a computer system. She was very beautiful, with oval face and sharp features.

Within a second, about six men ran towards her. One of the men was a strongly built chubby man they simply called Pappy.
There was excitement, and celebration in the room with sophisticated machines and computers. These men were all computer experts but they all knew the young girl was one of the best in the world.
She was an enigma. Her fingers moved round the keys with an incredible speed while applying complicated applications. After two months of serious work, she cracked and hacked into the account.
Pappy was marvelled. What was this girl? They called her Lena.

Then a minute after the breakthrough, she stopped celebrating and the men who were watching the screen paused.

“Oh my God!” she exclaimed. “Someone got in a minute before me.”

“ Jeez!” One of the men said, his eyes bulging out as they saw the movements.

“ Who the hell is that?” Pappy asked.“ Can you get him out?”

“Sure! He is also hacking.” She said and her magical fingers went into work. She had speed and that was a great advantage.

“ The person has seen me.” She said, “ He is trying to tug me out.”

“ Oh no! You have to beat him to it.”

“I am doing that. I got L-5 root kit in play, transcending with zinoxer cruiser. I guess he is On hyper connecting mode and that means I must fortify the walls then tug.” She said while her fingers did the things she was talking about.“ I am almost there….oh no, he got me! It was a second degree Trojan horse.”

They saw an emoji with a stuck out tongue and a blink.

She was blocked, pulled out and all her months of work turned into a debacle. There was a dead silence in the room.

She felt tears in her eyes. She was angry, confused and tensed up.

“ Get me the coordinate machine quick!”She shouted. She may just be seventeen, but the way she said it, and her skills made the men shook.

A man ran and brought it.

She connected it to the computer.

“I have just thirty seconds to do this! ”she said and set her fingers to work. That did not come handy either. The seconds kept counting down. Damn!

10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1……

Click!

She sighed.

“I got it.” she said. “ Latitude is 9.081999 and longitude is 8.675277000000051.”she pushed her chair backwards and got up angrily. “ That is Nigeria! We must find this jerk!” she went out,and then slammed the door before she broke into tears.

There was no one she hated more than the person, whoever it was ,that just disgraced her. She was the best in the world and who the hell was that?

Pappy grunted.

“Who is this person?” He wondered aloud. “ We must find him! We are going to Nigeria! "

This was the beginning of the story of Lena and Adnan and his voyage to becoming Hayat Anas.

They lay side by side, her head on his chest, tired but satisfied and accomplished. She wished it was darker, but he tried to make her feel at ease. He cracked jokes and talked for a while.

"Remember when I said we were not going to work today?"
Work? Oh, work! Damn! She had forgotten about that completely. Nothing would make any of them go out today. He was only allowed to go to masjid (Mosque).

" I guess Ramat is going to fry your ass. She would tell her dad."

Adnan giggled.

" How would she know that Naanan is the first three letters from your name and the last three form mine?"

"What?" She frowned. NAAirah and adNAN.

"Her father is my stooge. I own the place. We own the place"

She now remembered that she had about one million questions for him. How did he get so rich within a short period of time? And his physical changes.

"You own that place? "

He smiled.

"Now, you have a lot to tell me. First, is Aliyah your real sister, is Alhaji Anas your real father? Where have you been? How did you survive? Who were the people who tried to kill you and why? I am your wife now, I want to know. I don't care about the risk of involving me. I want to be part of whatever trouble it is.....but I trust you"

"You asked about my relationship with Aliyah, Alhaji Anas and the rest.....it is complicated but I will tell you from the scratch. It was complicated and it is still. I met Aaliyah........"








Achimugu had gone for fishing that day when he saw something floating and holding onto a dried log of wood.
At first, he thought it was a dead hippopotamus.. He paddled his canoe towards it and then saw a body that looked lifeless.
SuhanAllah!
He jumped into the river, made a quick swim and touched the body. He was alive but still bleeding. He did not know what happened but he knew this person who happened to be a young man like him needed help.
He moved him to his canoe, put him inside and paddled backwards with a speed that would make some Olympic participants hide in shame. This was a raw hidden talent.

Archimugu paddled to the bank of the river, tied his canoe, and carried Adnan on his shoulder. He was half running as he rushed to their village. It was late in the night. They used to go to the river at night to fish and come back in the morning.
He carried Adnan to his hut and went to his father’s room. The father, Attah, was a hunter and had gone for hunting. Achimugu knew a lot about herbal medicine and local remedies which was part of their family trade. Hunters were also known to have deep knowledge of herbs.
He rushed back to his hut after collecting some herbs. He lit his lantern,and then realized that Adnan was bleeding from the arm. He looked carefully and knew it was a bullet.

Bullet?
Who was he?

He went to a corner of his room and brought two metals. He knew how to do this because he aslo learnt hunting and knew about guns. He sent the metal into Adnan’s arm. Adnan reacted as a stream of pain swept through him.
Achimugu removed the bullet.
What? This was a foreign bullet and not the local one he knew. Hope he was not helping an armed robber?

He went and put the metal in a flame of fire in the his mother’s kitchen. He allowed it get red before he removed it. He went back in a rush, poured some powdered leaves on the wound and then used the hot metal to touch the wound.
Even though Adnan was unconscious, he yelled and wiggled but the strong Igala boy held him tightly and then let him go when he felt it was done. He then mixed some herbs, added honey, opened his mouth and ingested.

He then let him go, watched him for a few minutes, satisfied, he went out after closing the door behind him. He was going back to fishing.
In the early hours of the next morning, he saw about two flying boats with strange men in it. They stopped by his canoe, and asked, “ Please did you see the body of our brother, he fell into the river last night.” They showed him Adnan’s picture.
He almost said yes then something inside him told him not to. They said he fell inside the river but the guy he saw was shot at. The men looked dangerous.

“ No, I didn’t see anybody.”

That single move had saved Adnan because those were the men sent by Dr Abbas to get his body. When Achimugu went back home, he explained everything to his parents and cautioned them to keep it a secret until they knew what was going on.
Miraculously, Adnan became conscious two days later and was able to walk and talk but the wound needed time to heal.

That was how he met Attah Ocholi family. Adnan told them he was attacked by assassins who wanted to kill him because he discovered that they were criminals. He did not tell them the truth. He lived with them and healed within two months.
Meanwhile, the search team organized by Hajiya Fatima kept searching for him but Achimugu thought they were part of the assassins so he never told them anything. By the time Adnan healed, the search had stopped.
Adnan began to follow Achimugu to fish. He became a fisher man but Achimugu told him something that he did not understand.

“ I am a native. We have Ebira, Bassa-Nge (a Nupe tribe), Igala, Ogori and a lot more around here. This river is dangerous. It may not be too friendly with strangers. You have to be Careful. The water knows natives and strangers.”

“ I know how to swim.”

“It is not just about knowing how to swim.”

It did not make much sense to Adnan but he quit that day. He needed a source of income to raise money for logistics. It was now clear that he was a target and there
must be a reason for it. He recognized one of the men to be Gajere’s men. Who was Gajere working for?
He was told that the name of the village was Agedem not too far from Shintaku which overlooked Lokoja with the river dividing them. He saw Ferries transporting people and cars across the river to the other side .

Adnan decided to get a job so he crossed to Lokoja and began searching for a job. He finally got a job at a café . This was not only to earn but have access to a computer and network. He used to cross the river via flying boats every day to get to work.
He did not show his employers that he had exceptional skills when it came to computers but he exhibited proficiency in the conventional aspect of the job to endear him to them. He then offered to program for them. They were astonished to find out that he could program.
While he was doing this which made them allow him spend the night at the café, he used the opportunity to carry on with his mission.
Adnan had the thought of Naairah on his mind at every point of his life. He knew she would be perturbed, and devastated but he could not go to her. They would be watching her and once she knew he was alive, they would know.

That was when he got the chance to start hacking into an account he had worked on as contracted by Bash. He found something fishy about that account.
He accessed his secret file which he hid on a mail called Q- mail. It was inaccessible to hackers. Only he could access it using radio waves.
In that file were some of his most efficient conventional hacking tools which he used before he discovered OFA waves.

He remembered the site, even though Bash tried to mix it up. They did not trust him.
He logged in, from his file, he brought in DFX password cracker and retrieved the password like child’s play. The site was displayed.
Using a packet sniffer, he captured the data packs in order to view data and passwords in the transit networks.

He saw a pack with a file name: AB.
He applied an algorithm which scanned the internal suggestions encrypted in the system and he saw America-Bolivia.
It took no time to find out that the site was handled by Dr Abbas.
Bingo!

His suspicions were correct. Dr Abbas was the one he cracked the site for through Bash and his group.
Adnan opened the data and saw things that sparked his interest. He saw a name : Aminu Saminu.
He recalled that Naairah’s father was called Mukhtar Saminu. But Dr Abbas was Abbas Babangida and they had the same father and mother. Why were they bearing complete different names? It was not unusual that a child might bear his father’s name while his sibling used their grandfather’s name.

Adnan logged into an American file and typed, Aminu Saminu. A lot of faces and profiles popped out but being a computer wizard, he found the face he was looking for within second. The face matched with Dr Abbas’s.
What?
That was the name he used in his American passport. He was said to be a cleaner at Kimber’s Laboratories.
A doctor? How come he was a cleaner? Okay, maybe he was not yet a doctor then. Adnan searched for information about him and realised that he never attended a university for a day. How did he become a doctor? And why Abbas Babangida and not Aminu Saminu?
Adnan went into Bolivia and searched, there was no Saminu Aminu there but there was Dr Abbas Babangida and to his surprise, the face that popped out was Dr Abbas.
What was going on?

Dr Abbas was impersonating someone, a Dr Abbas Babangida. A cleaner up to the time he moved to Bolivia, and record showed that he stayed in Bolivia for just one year, working in a mortuary before he left for Nigeria.
And he returned as a very rich man.
News!

Who was the real Dr Abbas? Why was he named Adnan Abbas and Addy was impersonating him.
Wait!
There was a code he found attached to his name in one of the secret files: Tiger 606.
Tiger 606!
Adnan searched again and found that he left Bolivia with a woman whom he claimed was his wife and a son who was just a few months old. That woman was not Aunty Adama, Addy’s mother. Adnan zoomed the picture and took a good look at the cradle and realised it was his cradle. The logo was unmistaken and it was customized.
He could not see the child clearly but he looked so white and the woman with him was black. Adnan recalled the picture of him being carried by a man in front of a dump site.

He checked his archives and found the picture, he uploaded it and checked it in details. He was shocked to see that the man who held him was someone he did not really notice due to physical changes brought about by age and wealth perhaps.
It was Alhaji Mukhtar, Naairah’s father!

FIVE

The room was small, stuffy and murky. The walls were made of steel which told the inmates that it was a shipping container.
There were two tiny windows made at the top. This was the only source of light during day time. This was where Mangal and Beeba had been kept imprisoned for three days.
They had no idea of who their abductors were or why they were abducted. The container was an intermodal container so one part was converted into a toilet with a pit latrine.

“My children….” Beeba whispered, after days of crying.“I doubt if I will ever see them again. Only God knows what Abu Haneef is going through.”

“Hmmm….”

“And your mother.” She said. “I hope they do not tell her.”

Mangal heaved.

“I was supposed to transfer her to another hospital which coincidentally not too far from the account office. I wonder how she is doing now.”

“It’s been three days and we don’t know why we are here. I hope we are not objects of ritualism.”

“I hope so.”

They heard a clicking sound and the strong metal door was tugged, before a beam of light flashed on them.
The two men who had abducted them came in. The beam could only let them see the silhouettes of the kidnappers. They had being brought here only after they were blindfolded.
The two men stood without saying a word for a few seconds. The one holding the flashlight kept the beam on Beeba, looking hungrily at her body.

“Our boss wants to talk to you.” He said. “He is on his way.”

Beeba and Mangal said nothing. Her heart was beating rapidly and the movement of her chest which was caused by fear seemed to amuse the man holding the flashlight.

“Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu.” A soft voice emerged before a man came in. He was tall, slim and wore just a simple white jallabiya.

They could not see his features except his silhouette. Mangal and his boys replied to his greeting.

“I seek refuge from Allah from the evil one, and pray for guidance and blessing.” He continued. “I come in peace. You can simply call me Sabr. I am sorry that you have been here for three days and I have not come to see you.
It is part of our culture to let our guest rest for three days before we talk to them. I am sure you have been fed and no one has touched the woman. Haram! We don’t do that. We cannot resort to the atrocities we are trying to obliterate.
I guess you wonder why you were invited here. Actually, it is nothing that has to do with personal issue. May I know your name, young man?”

“ Mangal Muhammad.”

“Allahu akhbar! What a nice name. Masha Allah.”

“What about your wife?”

“She is not my wife.”

“Your sister perhaps.”

“We are colleagues. We work at the same place.” Beeba said. “ My name is Beeba Bukar.”

Even though they could not see Sabr, it seemed the revelation astonished him.

“Where do you work?”

“Shatoo Plastic Company” Mangal replied.

“Hmmm…..We saw your ID cards. I thought you were going to lie to me. I hate liars. That is a sin. Did you know that I am a graduate? I studied Business Administration. These two here are also graduates. But look at us. We have no jobs. You know why? Because the system is addled. I have lost job opportunities because I am not a woman. I lost many because I have no one upstairs. This cannot go on. We cannot go on like this. We have to do something. And that is what we are doing. We have to change the system. The government is wicked and we have to stop them.
Now we are creating employments. Did you know that the Toyota Hilux we got from you helped a lot of people? We called a painter who changed its colour. We called in a mechanic who dismantled the engine and sold it parts to spare part dealers. With what we made, we added some amount and bought a new engine. No one can trace the car.
We created jobs for all of these people. We will sell the car and share the money. You see how helpful we are? By doing this, we are helping the nation by reducing the number of those in labour market.

Now, I will call your husband and demand for money.” He turned at Mangal. “ Are you married?”

“No.”

“Who are your family members?”

“I have always been an only child and I lost my father since I was ten. The only person I have is my mother.”

“What killed your father?”

“He died in Liberia. He was a military man.”

“You must have been given millions of naira.”

“No. Some of his entitlements are still pending.”

“You see? Now you can see what I am talking about. He died for the country and they still owe him. We must change the system. We will call your mother.”

“She is sick. I am the one taking care of her. She is currently in hospital.”

“Are you saying there is nobody to pay your ransom?”

“Is that what this is all about? Are you kidnappers?”

“I seek refuge with Allah from evil. Kidnapping is a strong word. We are not kidnappers. We are Gentlemen of the society. We are trying to balance wealth and morality. Please do not use such a dangerous word again.”

“I do not have anybody to pay for me. I am the one who takes care of my mother.”

“Oh no. I feel so bad for you. It is pathetic and I get emotional when I hear things like this. May Allah ease it for you, may He extricate you. Can we recite Alamnashara for him? Okay, we will do that later. I have an idea. I will kill you, and your mother will die quicker and save the pains. What do you think? …you don’t have to think. That is the best thing to do. Your case is closed.”

Sabr turned at his man.

“Give me her phone.” He said. “What name did you use in saving your husband’s number? Honey, Sweetheart, My Love, Baban baby, what?”

“Abu Haneef.”

Sabr searched while he began to recite a portion of The Holy Qur’an. He was doing very bad things and yet, using religion and morality to justify them. What kind of Islam was he practicing?

The line connected. Sabr saw his name because of the caller’s ID.

“Hello.”

“Good evening Mr Isa Hamza. We have news about your wife. Listen carefully……..”

Isa Hamza came out the car and waited. His caftan was worn carelessly, and he just realised that he had forgotten his cap at home.
The thirty seven year old man was jittery, befuddled and lassitude. It was a few minutes after 10:00PM. He tried her number again but it was now switched off. He had been to Sharada, to the Account Firm only to be told that his wife never came there.

It was late so by the time he went to her place of work, he met only the security guards. He asked for the address of the GM but they asked him to come back the next day because they would not do that. It was only after he identified himself he was given the phone number.
He had called the GM and demanded to see him. Now he was waiting outside his house. On his way there, he had called at a police station to give a formal report.

Isa was so lost in thoughts he was not aware that the GM had come out his house and was already standing before him.

“Good evening.” The Gm greeted with an extended hand. They shook hands but Isa felt a wave of dislike flowing through him.

“ Good evening, Alhaji Gambo. I am Isa Baballiya. I am Beeba’s husband.’

“ It is a pleasure to meet you. I am highly perturbed and astonished. Like I told you on the phone, I simply sent her to make some corrections on an auditing result which I am supposed to present tomorrow during a board meeting.”

“ So there is no clue to what has happened? There is no trace of her. Her phone has been switched off, and she did not even get to the place. I am more astonished because you said they left around 3 :00PM.”

“Yes. We have on record because they used an official car. This is mysterious. Have you tried his number?”

“ His number? Whose number?”

Gambo made a face that made him look more repulsive to Isa.

“ Her colleague. The assignment was primarily hers. He is not the driver but he drove the car.”

“I don’t get your point.”

Gambo showed hesitation.

“They are very close and she never feels secured if he is not around. They left together.”

“Why did you not call him? I don’t even know him. How do I get his number? You ought to have called him, Alhaji Gambo.”

“You don’t know him? I thought you were kind of related because of their level of closeness.”

“Tell me exactly what you are trying to insinuate. My wife is missing Alhaji Gambo.”

“I believe they are together. That is why I thought of calling him. I think I have his number. Let me try.”

Isa called Mangal.

He shook his head slightly.

“They both switched off their phones.”

“Okay, if you are trying to give me the impression that my wife is out there with a man, I would be very angry with you. I trust my wife and if there is anyone I don’t trust, it is you because your attitude this night just spoke volumes about you and substantiates what she has been telling me about you.”

“Telling you about me? What has she been saying?”

“You know what I am talking about. I hope there is nothing fishy going on here because I will not rest until I get to the root of it. I am beginning to get suspicious.”

“I understand how you feel right now……”

Isa left him in a fit of pique.

It was the third day Isa received a call.

“Hello.”

“Good evening Mr Isa Hamza. We have news about your wife. Listen carefully.

FOUR

Beeba Bukar closed the door gently behind her, aware that the GM was starring after her; she walked briskly to her office which she shared with her colleague.
She was twenty-nine years old, tall and chubby. Her round face was attractive with sharp features but it was her voluptuous body, with a round broad hips that made men go bunkers.
She was always properly dressed, using veils and avoiding skimpy clothes but somehow, those feminine features would accentuate.
She grimaced, heaved a sigh and dropped her balk on the swivel chair behind her desk and buried her face in her palms.
Her colleague looked at her, frowned and dropped his ballpoint.

“What is wrong? Did he let hell loose again?”

She said nothing, still trying to compose herself.

“ He hates me.” She said. “And he would never fail to find the chance of humiliating me, frustrating me and make life a living hell for me. Can you imagine what he said? He says I am worthless. I am nothing but an exacerbating factor to the firm. I don’t know what to do. I feel like resigning. He knows I need the job so he does whatever he wants!”

Her colleague, Mangal Muhammad was twenty-five years old. He was a tall, brawny, sturdy and handsome man with very dark hair and eyebrow. His conk was hooked, sitting above firm lips amid an aggressive jaw. He had sleepy eyes which was too white for a man of his age with very dark iris.
Dressed in a fawn blue stripped shirt which he tucked into cream coloured chinos pants which a black leather Calvin Klein belt held.
His beards was well carved and it seemed he cut his hair daily because no one could tell if he had a new hair cut or not. It was always looking the same. He was a man who took a great care about his looks.

He had been working for the company for three years while she had been with them for five years.

“ He does not like my face either but it seems he hates you more. What the hell is his problem?” He said.

She took in a deep breath, with her face still buried in her palms, she said hesitantly, “ he hates you because he hates me.”

Mangal frowned.

“ How?”

“ I never told you this but…he has been flirting with me.”

“ What?”

She raised her face, showed an imaginary ring, “ I told him I was happily married and have never thought of cheating on my husband. I can never do that. He began to say things like ‘ what the hell am I talking about? He did not ask me out, blab, blab, blab. That was the day the hate game started. He said I was trying to tarnish his image. I was glad he got the message so he stopped but he is bent on making this place a hell for me.”

“ Oh my God! I mean, he knew you were married. Why on earth should someone think of dating a married woman? Okay, what is my crime?”

She drew her laptop closer, pushed it back a bit and heaved. She was obviously flummoxed.

“ He thinks there is something between us. Can you imagine that?”

“Subahanallah! Does he think everyone is like him? Why should he think of such a thing?”

She knew why. Mangal was someone she trusted. She always confided in him. She told him things she never told her female friends because she was sure he would keep her secrets.
He had always advised her positively even when it had to do with her marital affairs. She was four years older than him and she saw him as a younger brother.
He was always there for her during work. He would cover for her, help her do some of her assignments and put her through some things she do not comprehend. This association made the GM thought there was something more to it. Now he hated Mangal out of jealousy. What a fool! Feeling jealous over another man’s wife.

“ Maybe he feels you cover for me.” She said. She did not want to talk about the suspicion. It was repulsive and did not want to even talk about it.

“ Okay, I am going to his office right now and give him a piece of my mind. I don’t take bullshit!” He said and got up angrily. “ Why would I not cover for a sister? What the hell is his business with that. Excuse me…..”

“Stop it Mangal! You will do nothing of such. That man is vindictive and savage. Let him be.”

“ No.” He left angrily. She tried to stop him, almost held him by his shirt before she remembered that he was her non-muharam and then stopped. “ Mangal ! Mangal! Don’t be stupid.”

He left and banged the door.

What got into him? He was a calm man full of perseverance. Why the sudden outburst? Why did she tell him?
She sat on the desk. She could not go after him. They may lose their jobs and they both needed the jobs.

“ Did you really think I had the guts to go to him?” Mangal said as he peeped. “ If I had gone to his office, it would have been to go and greet him again.”

She felt a big relieve.

“You are crazy Mangal” She chuckled. “You got me on that one.”

“I thought I was not going to play any prank on anyone today.” He said and walked in.

“Oh my God! Today is 1st of April.” She used her palm to dab her forehead. “You got me on that one. I was scared dude.”

“But we need to pray over this guy. Maybe we will just wake up and find him transferred to somewhere else.”

“I have been doing that. I told my husband about him. He said I should do the right thing and never let him get to me.”

“ Your husband is right but when someone hates you, he looks for just a slight mistake you make, and unfortunately, we not impeccable. We would always make mistakes. Did you tell your husband why he hates you?”

She nodded.

“ I did. I had to tell someone and he was the best person to tell. He trusts me though but I wanted him to confront him.”

“ He would not do that. He did not ask you out directly. He was only flirting, trying his luck while seeing what your reaction would be like. When you told him that you were married, he said he was not asking you out. If he could tell you that, what would he tell your husband? He has been fixed. He won’t flirt with you again but the problem is the hate. We have got no choice other than to commit it to prayers and play safe. This job is all I have.”

“I know right. How is Mama doing?”

He shrugged.

“Praise be to God.” He said. “I am moving her to Noorul-Izzah Hospital, Sharada later.”

“ Ya Allah! May Allah recuperate her sooner than anticipated.”

“ Ameen.” He said and felt his eyes going wet. “ I just pray she dies as a monotheist, forgiven soul and one who is going to a better place.”

“ Ameen.” She said and frowned. “ You sound like…..”

“ She has a cancer.” He said.

“ Oh my God!”

“ But I will never give up on her.”

“ You can’t give up on her. It’s not a death sentence. I am sorry about what you are going through.”

“Thank you.”

It was at that point the door burst open without a knock. A short, fat man with a very thick neck came in.
He saw the look of affection on her face, as if she wanted to hold Mangal. Maybe they were about to make out. This stupid boy was having what he wanted. He knew what he was going to do.

“ I am sorry, I barged in to disrupt. I did not know you were having an unofficial time.”

“ Excuse me Sir.” Beeba said, “ His mother is on the sickbed……”

“You don’t owe me an explanation. I need you to get this to our external auditor. You must wait for the rectification because we have a board meeting tomorrow and I must present this. I told him to expect you.” He dropped a file on her desk. “I will be glad if you leave now, and postpone whatever is going on here for another time. This is very important. As you can see, I brought this personally and that shows how important it is.”

“ Okay Sir.” She said, realising there was no need to explain further. “ who exactly am I going to meet?”

“ Have you forgotten who the external auditor is?” He vituperated. “ The chattered accountant, Musa Rano.”

“Okay Sir.”

“I wonder if you are good at anything.” He said and walked out angrily.

Mangal’s face crinkled.

“Was he trying to insinuate that we were in a kind of debauchery mood?”

She shook her head.

“I never told you that because it feels so repulsive. He thinks we are dating.”

“ It is established. He is sick. You better leave now.”

She grimaced, looked at her wristwatch.

It is 3:05 PM already. We are talking about auditing corrections here. That would take at least three hours. I may not get back home until around 7:00 PM. I am a married woman with two kids for crying out loud.”

“ Call your husband.” Mangal said. “Implore with him to meet you there.”

She thought about it and nodded. She called him and he picked before she told him.

“I don’t think that will be a big deal.” The husband said. “I will leave office immediately after 4:00 PM but would have to see my mechanic. I think you will be okay. Just bear with him until I get you another job. I talked to Hameed about you ever since you told me about your boss. If things had not gone so bad, you would have just established your business.”

“ It is qadr. I pray you will bounce back, stronger and bigger insha Allah.”

“ Ameen.”

“ I will tell Sadiya to boil rice. There is sauce in the freezer.”

“Okay, dear. Take care of yourself for me.”

“Sure, My Love.”

The call ended. Mangal saw her blushing.

“ He has to fix his car.” She said. “ And my car is also faulty.”

“I wonder why we are not given official cars.”

“ In this firm, only the top officers are given official cars.” She said. “ Buy your car or you are on your own.”

“ So what are you going to do?”

“ Public transport is the only means and Sharada is a distance from here.”

“But you can’t use your personal money for this. They should make arrangement. The driver should take you there.”

“I don’t want him to shout at me.”

“We would not allow fear make him step on us just the way he likes. What you are doing is tantamount to over time as they call it. He is not thanking you and no extra pay. You can’t do that at your expense. If you can’t talk to him, I swear I will.”

She looked at him and saw the seriousness in his eyes.

“I will talk to him. Let me do that via phone.”

“Please do.”

She used the landline phone on her desk.

“Sir, my car is bad and I am finding it hard to get myself there. I would also need to go home from there and it may be late. As a woman….”

“Do not bother me with complains. The driver is not around. Okay, let your man drive you there but he must return the car today, no matter how late it is and park it before he goes home.”

“My man?”

“Your colleague. Mangal.”

“With all due respect, Sir, I do not appreciate you calling him my man. I am a respected married woman…..”

“Tell him to come for the key.” He cut in and dropped the call.

She pressed the mouthpiece in anger.

“I can’t wait to get another job.” She said. “ I am sorry…”

“Sorry about what?”

“It did not go as planned. The driver is not around and he wants you to go with me, and you must bring back the car today before you leave.”

“Damn! That should be around 8:00PM.”

“I got you into this.”

“ No. I asked you to call him. I am just worried about my mother, plus, Hafsat says she wants to see me.”

“I think I should just go.”

“No. Let me get the key.”

Fifteen minutes later, they were on their way. It was while they got close to junction it happened. It was so fast and surreal. The car had slowed down, and out of nowhere someone appeared and showed Mangal a gun. Another one came out of another car and opened the back door of the car and got in. The two men got inside the car and said, “If you shout, I will shoot you. Now, be a good boy and follow that red car.”

Apologies for short updates this morning. My PC charger is faulty. Will try get it fixed today.

"Hayati?" Naairah said in a little above whisper, eyes full of disbelieve, and confusion flushing in.
He smiled and she related. It was his smile but how? Was it possible for a soul to go into another body? She knew jins could do that but not men. But she was sure this was Adnan. Damn the physical features.

This was the heartbeat she had been feeling, the breath and the love that she refused to accept and acknowledge. She was filled with preconceived negative opinion; she could not fall in love except with Adnan. So many times, she nearly succumbed, give 'Hayat' a chance, she felt something for him, something that she felt with Adnan but she refused, and rejected the feelings.

" Miss Sunshine." He said, and then removed his false teeth to expose the set of teeth she knew. The fake teeth were made to cover the real ones. Then he removed the eye lens that gave his eyes the black colour and the brown eyes was back.
He also removed a micro voice box that was fixed to his mouth. This box raised the pitch of his voice and made it lighter, thereby changing his voice.

She had seen enough. There were other questions, but that could wait.
Reality dawned on her.
She was married to Adnan! And she did not know it. She did a brief flashback. She remembered trying to imagine it was Adnan she was getting married to, and the thought gave her peace, and brightened the whole event. How could she have known it was more than just imagination?
She remembered the way he said he was so proud of her on her graduation. He must have come there on purpose. He came for her.
She was married to Adnan, her superman.
She was Adnan's wife! He was her husband. She found it difficult to believe.
She felt as if the wedding was just knotted that day, and that moment.

"Everything was done for a reason but it gave me the opportunity to know that your love is ethereal...."

She was not listening to him now. She got off the bed, and a new stream of tears cascaded as she ran into his arms.
Their first body contact, after tantalizations.
She knew he had a lot to say, she also had things to say, and they both wanted to listen but that may take a life time. She found it funny that it was the person she had been keeping her body for she was stopping from having it. And he waited patiently for six months. He had to explain that part. Why was the mystery so long?
Explanation could wait.

She felt his strong arms round her Barbados cherry soft body, and her long, slim delicate hands gently wound round his body, her head pressed to his stout chest as she sobbed. His palm found her hair, then stroked gently and found its way to her face and beneath her eye lids and slowly wiped off tears like a car wipers.

" I missed you Miss Sunshine." He said and his real voice was back. Her fingers pressed his back harder. " I love you."

" I have no words to describe how I feel." She whispered. " I don't think this is real, is it?"

" I am in doubt too." He said . " I guess I have to find out."

He sent his other palm to her face until they held her by the cheeks. He looked into those fluorogenic eyes, and he felt her infectious looks, igniting his fantasy, and they were lifted out of this world, to land where only love existed.
The upheavals, shindigs, pollutions of the world was obliterated. It was like a world made for just the two of them, like a world for two, with full carte blanche.

Her magnolia blossom soft lips stared at him with passion, she blinked and he mentally played it in a slow motion, and he saw the winged and curling eyelashes meet and part, and the movement sent a sputter though him.
He sent his lips towards hers and they clashed.
Their first kiss.

There was a contradictory perspective even though they were on a common ground.
He felt the taste of pomegranates and it felt like the only thing that could cure him while she felt sweet strawberries Arnaud and felt as if it was a preventive medicine for all cancers.
Different perspectives.
Common ground: Sweetness, healing and elating because they knew for every move they made, an angel was recording rewards for them.

" What punishment do I deserve for depriving myself of this for six months?" she said in a soft tone.

" You were oblivious to the fact but that would not exonerate you." He replied while he cuddled her. "You are sentenced to thirty minutes of this daily until the court feels it okay to do other wise."

"The court would make me commit more crimes because I want a more severe punishment. I want to be punished by you, Hayati. Have no mercy on me."

" Now, you are in trouble." He kissed her again, and then carried her in one single move which took her by surprise. She let out a short scream and then laughed.
Oh God!
He wished he could record the sound of her laughter and play it over and over again. He now carried her, his right hand under her legs while the left was under her back while she held him by the neck.
He took her out of her bedroom and headed towards his bedroom.

"And where are you taken me to?"

" Airport."

"Why?"

"We are embarking on a journey. Have you heard of Sugarivia?"

"No?"

"It is a country in Dadix, a planet above."

"Hmmmmm..."

"We are going for exploration, and tourism."

"But I don't have a visa and passport here."

"Who said so? You got that from the day they said 'faaaaatiha' and I saw people coming to shake hands with me, congratulating me."

She chuckled.

"You will pay for this. You married me knowing fully well that it was your choice but you left me in an imaginary world. I tried to imagine it was you so I would not break down."

"Really? I am so sorry about that. That is my problem, I am a naughty boy. Bana jin Magana ( I am obstinate)."

" I will get you. One for me, and one for you."

" Now I am scared."

"Why?"

" That reminds me of something very nasty I once did as a young boy."

"Would you like to share, my king?"

My king!

He planted a short but deep passionate kiss on her. She let out a low moan.

" Thank you my queen....Miss Sunshine."

She smiled. That smile.

" Now tell me about the nasty thing you did ."

" I was walking one day when a man called me. He said he was very hungry and could not find anything to buy. He wanted meat-pie. I told him I knew a place where they sold meat-pie. I was just ten then and very hungry. He gave me hundred naira because the meat-pie was sold for fifty naira each.
He asked me to buy two then said 'one for me and one for you'. I nodded and left happily. After a while, I went back. He was very hungry and he looked impatient. He said, I have been waiting for you. Where is the meat-pie?
I explained: they said it was finished and only one was left so I bought it. He asked me where it was. I told him that I ate it and handed fifty naira back to him. He opened his mouth and that surprised me. I said, Uncle you said one for me and one for you and there was only one so I took it."

"What?" Naairah exclaimed and laughed.

"He was speechless. He collected the money without a word and sat on a block sadly."

"That was nasty!" She laughed and could not remember when last she laughed whole heartedly. Adnan was back and to leave no more.

They entered his bedroom and she realised that he had this day planned. There was a giant card standing with the words' our hearts met on a star'.

"Awwwnnnn, Hayati."

Below was a short write up :

Naairah , Miss Sunshine, this is the door to the life of mine, now there is no line, we merge and it is all fine, come in and we can love and dine. I told you I would not leave, in Allah we trust and believe, and our dreams we achieve. If I tell you the love I have for you can be quantified, know that I am the biggest liar and barmy that is certified, just your smile I am satisfied, our union is justified, and our love sanctified. Naairah Mukhtar, welcome to the life of Adnan Abbas. Our heart met on a star.
She read it and fought the urge to cry. Within that short period of time, she recalled when they first met, and the drama, and the love and the trust. Then the years of missing him, not knowing if he was alive or not, the pains of thinking she was getting married to someone else only to find herself in his arms. Allah is great!

She kissed him, not knowing what to say and he carefully placed her on the bed. While he cuddled her, he tried to remember the prayer the holy Prophet SAW taught when it was about to happen, to make the offspring void of satanic influences.

He remembered. He needed it.

They were at the airport, and into the rocket, and gradually, they left the earth to that land which was far above the earth.

Apologies for short updates this morning. My PC charger is faulty. Will try get it fixed today.

2011

Ameer had finished serving successfully. He graduated with a second class upper with only one student graduating with a first class in their department. 2-1. That was great.

" No be moi-moi" A course mate, Stanley, had said. " O'boy, you lucky you bag upper , me the lower I carry na raise shoulder I dey o. How many guys them rusticate? How many dem shift from chemical go fishery? How many kpai, as in, them no dey alive to even fail.
You na mallam nah. You know say mallams, anything wey happen dem go say, Allah yakawo (It is from God). This one na better Allah yakawo o. Me, I dey go shack. As in, celebrate my lower with chilled bottles of beer and siga, them come use Irene top the celebration. You dey go masalaci (Mosque) nah."

Ameer had laughed but the guy had a point. Fateemah was not alive to witness this. And there were many more. Alhamdulillah.
Maryam had offered him partnership in the block industry. He would run it and they spilt the profit.
He was posted to Kano where he served in a food processing factory. He made sure he came back to Kaduna every weekend to be with his heartthrob.

When he was free, he accompanied her to court and how proud he was of her. She got about three more attacks within two years and he was always by her. Her mother was completely satisfied with Ameer.
There was no more secrets, nothing to hide from him, nothing to be scared of. It did not happen too frequently and never exceeded two weeks.
So the marriage arrangement was started. Formal introduction was done with kudin gaisuwa. Then another time was fixed for payment of dowry then the date was fixed.

The wedding was three months, six days away.

Amaar was done with Service since 2008 but yet to get a job. When Ameer asked him what he wanted to do, he said he would be open a roadside construction company, where he would start making gates, and grinding machines.
Ameer raised some amount from him and he started. But he was always travelling to Bauchi, saying he was looking for a contract there. They were not making too much money but they could take care of Hajiya and themselves.

Unknown to Ameer, Amaar was already a family man with responsibilities. Ameena was in her final year in ABU zaria, Sa'adat was in SS3, while Aisha was JSS 1. All on Amaar. Ameena was twenty -one now and they were not yet married.

Amaar was planning on telling Ameer and Hajiya that he had found a wife when the two weeks trip came up. He decided to wait until they came back. Two weeks was nothing and he knew Ameena's family would accept his proposal even if it was three days to the wedding.

The trip.

The issue of the trip started while Ameer and Maryam were sitting on their favourite pew in the garden, enjoying ice-cream.

" I wanted to tell you something but......" she now hesitated, pouting and making a face like a baby.

" Talk to me, baby."

" I want us to travel before the wedding."

"Which wedding?"

She eyed him.

" Okay, our wedding."

"Ko ke fa! I like the sound of 'our' and not, 'the'."

" Must you scrutinize every word in a sentence?"

" Saboda tsaro. Now, keep talking."

"I want us to travel."

" That sounds cool. Where? Kankia? "

" No."

" Hmmm..."

" London."

" What?"

" Just for two weeks."

" Did you say before our wedding?"

"Yes, my ......"

"Husband." He quickly cut in

" Not yet, dude."

" But I have bought you already and paid for it."

"You paid bride price dai." She chuckled, " but you did not buy me."

"What is the difference?"

" An biya sadaki(dowry has been paid) and not ansaye Maryam(Maryam has been bought) . Take note."

" Okay. But why before marriage? I mean it will be more fun, a kind of honeymoon but...you know I can't afford a trip to London. Why not Lagos? They both start with letter L and both have beaches."

"I am serious. And it has to be before marriage."

" But you know...."

"We will be in different rooms and I am taking Sanam with me. She will be in the room with us as the third party when we are not sleeping.
Then you go back to your room when it is time to sleep. About the money for the trip, I will lend you."

" How do I pay back?"

" You will figure a way."

"Why are we going to London now?"

" Trust me. I want it to be a surprise and please don't spoil the fun. Just say yes, and don't act stubborn, please....honey."

" Okay then. I will follow you but it makes me...."

"Thank you. We would start the paper works, pronto! Guess you have not renewed your travel documents for a while."

"The last time I went abroad was in my SS1. That was eighty years ago."

" Ha'an! You were in school over fifty years before you were born."

They both laughed.

Two weeks later, they were on their way to London. And really it turned out to be a surprise.

excelmerry:
Pls who is Mr Farouq again?

The man that gave Ameer the Foreman Job. Remember?

Mallam Shu’aib smiled, took a bite of chicken lap then said, “ I wish I could help you men. I don’t have a log book. I see so many people. Why do you want to know if I saw him before the blast, is that a crime? If you guys are right about his involvement with the blast, how could I have known? He could have come to me before the blast but the only relationship between us was business. I am the major motor cycle spare part dealer in this zone. All the dealers in neighbouring states come to me. That is all.”

“ But you bought his goods and cleared his warehouse just a day after his death.” Derrick went on, yet the man did not shake .

“ That was a favour. You know little about our business. You have a store full of goods with many boys working for you. Even when you are alive, you need to be vigilant to make sure they don’t wreck you. His first child is just eleven years old, so who was going to run the business? Immediately I was told of his demise, I sent for his family members and asked them to take stock. I advised them to sell the goods and buy houses for the beneficiaries. The orphans could live on the rents collected without been cheated. I paid in cash, I’m talking about thirty-three million Naira. So what’s the crime there?”

“ No one has said you have committed any crime.” Kamal said for the first time. “ We want to know about the little girl you handed over to him a day before the bomb blast.”

Mallam Shu’aib went taut and pale for a fraction of second. He chewed the meat faster, before he tried to regain his composure but the law men did not miss it. A new wave of sensation crawled up Kamal’s spine. He had the intuition that he was sitting before one of the insurgents.

“Little girl?” Mallam Shu’aib said with a crinkled face. “Oh…I think I know what you are talking about. It was a little girl about seven who was found wandering on the street and she was brought to me. I did not want her to be endangered so I took her to my house and fed her. When Jamil came, I handed him to her and asked him to take her to the police station. That was the last day I saw him and the next thing I heard was his demise so I don’t know the station he took her to.”

The men realised that some of his confidence had dropped; he was smugly jittery, taking aback by the issue of the little girl.

“ Who found the girl?” Kamal asked.

Mallam Shu’aib pushed the soup away, washed his hands then used a tissue paper to wipe his mouth and hands.

“ I think I am done with this conversation.” Mallam Shu’aib said.

“ I am sorry, Sir, you do not have an option,” Derrick said calmly, “ this is an issue of national security, thousands of lives are been destroyed.”

“ I will have to call my lawyer. I need to take a good rest, I just returned from a long trip. If you may excuse me. We can continue this tomorrow, same time, same place.”

“ You have the liberty to talk to your lawyer,” Said Kamal, “but you have to come along with us for proper questioning. We have substantial reasons to do so.”

Mallam Shu’aib began to perspire. He had not expected it to turn out like this. He knew they would come after him, he was ready for them but the way they came about it got him off his track.

“ Are you arresting me?” He asked.

“We are inviting you to come with us.” Derrick said.

“To honour the invitation is mandatory.” kamal said in a military tone.

“ I need to a see a warrant” Mallam Shu’aib said trying to look unruffled. Kamal got on his feet, his intimidating size and military uniform making him a bugaboo.

“ I am Captain Kamal Noor of ATOF. I have been given the authority to invite, arrest any suspected terrorist, humint or any one engaged in subterfuge. You are coming with us, willingly or unwillingly. You will have the liberty to contact your advocate.” He removed a pistol . “ I will prefer you come along with us without making a scene. If you are innocent, you will be back in one piece. No one has labelled you a criminal. We want to find out about the little girl Jamil used.”

Mallam Shu’aib broke into sweat. He looked at Kamal again then decided not to attract any physical conflict.

“ May I change my clothes?” He asked.

“No” Kamal said firmly. “ You are coming right now. Let’s move.” Kamal glanced at Derrick. “ I think ATOF needs him more.”

“ He is yours.”

“We need to tell your family….” Kamal began .

“No! “ Mallam Shu’aib said firmly. “They would be told later. They are in their quarters.”

They led him out of the living room, passed the front yard, opened the gate and climbed the almost deserted street. It was now a few minutes to 9:00PM .
Derrick called Tahir, “Get the car. Good to go.” But he heard no response. He looked over at the spot where Tahir had been stationed. He was not there. Where was he? Derrick moved forward, and then saw the silhouette of a body on the ground.
Oh No! It was Tahir’s lifeless body in a pool of blood. He was slaughtered in cold blood. At once, he removed his gun.

“He has been slaughtered. There are others.” Derrick said, alarmed and alert. It was at that time they heard gun shots, bullets directed at them.
Derrick docked, crawled and hid behind a tree then fired a shot towards the direction the shot came from. He heard another shot at the same time, from Kamal who had also docked.
Kamal fired two more shots before he heard someone run into a car which was parked in front of a bungalow, a few blocks from them. The person started the car engine but Kamal fired two perfect shots and burst the tyres. The person got out of the car, fired a blind shot then broke into a run but a man standing ahead of him with a gun made him pause.

It was Paul, a policeman, pointing a .33 at him. “Freeze!” Paul shouted, “drop your weapon and hands in the air.”
The man was short, stocky with a broad shoulder. He was holding a sophisticated AK47. From the rays of light that fell on his face, Paul guessed he in his late twenties. Kamal was now behind him, pointing his gun at him. He seemed to be alone.

“Drop your gun, now!” Kamal said harshly. There was a calm expression on the man’s face that worried Paul. He was smiling, looking happy as he dropped the gun. “ You can’t stop us.” He said. “We are unbreakable, untouchable and undeterred.”

“Get him, officer.” Kamal ordered. As Paul moved forward, the man quickly swallowed a pill, and then began to laugh. Kamal moved and punched him from behind but it was too late. He had swallowed the pill and the reaction amazed the law men. The man began to shiver vigorously, shaking violently then began to moan in pains.

His clothes began to burn. His body also burned, producing a repulsive stench that made Paul want to puke. They watched his body turn into ashes after the virulent reaction from the pills.

“ What the hell was that?” Paul asked in a whisper.

Kamal twitched his lip, his palm on the butt of his gun. He knew they were facing a sect that was determined, dangerous and ruthless. A birth of gargantuan beast in Borno State!

Derrick was behind them.

“ Mallam Shu’aib was the target. The bullets killed him. He is dead.” Said Derrick.

THREE

Miss Ann smiled coquettishly , fully relaxed behind her swivel chair and her oval shaped face away from the computer which was on her desk. Smartly dressed in light blue T-shirt and black jeans, she sipped her coffee then said, “how nice to see you Captain.” Kamal smiled back. “Thanks Miss…..”

“ Cut the miss, Captain. For the umpteenth time, I am Ann.”

“Okay Ann. So let’s get even, Call me Kamal and cut the Captain stuff.”

“That’s cool. I wonder how you look in mufti, Cap…..oops! I meant Kamal.”

“ Yeah, I am lucky you have never seen me in mufty. I am told I look more awful.”

“Nonsense. You know you are cool. I wonder if you have a life after military.”

“I wonder myself. ATOF has taken over my life.”

“ Your wife must be understanding.”

“Yeah….cause I will tell her before she comes in.”

She eyed him, swivelling her chair slightly, took another sip then said, “Still single?”

“Just left NDA four years ago, still young and planning. I am just twenty seven.”

“ You are starting hard.”

“ I started hard from the day I decided to join the military.”

“ You need go easy.”

“With bombs blowing frequently, I think it’s just getting harder except if you and I could have time to talk this over dinner. I have never seen you away from this computer. You away from the computer , I out of my khaki.”

“ Are you asking me out ?”

“ Sounds like it. I will be free on Saturday night.”

“ Do I have your number?”

They exchanged numbers.

“ You have our office number, don’t you?” A voice said from behind. Kamal turned at a young man, slightly older than him, dressed in well-cut fawn coloured suit. He was of moderate height, wearing a swaggering moustache that gave him a cushy expression. This was Detective Derrick Etoh of the CID. A sagacious and quick witted agent, he had been considered as one of the best in the department. “ Of course I do. I was taking her number in case you need my help.” Said Kamal.

Derrick giggled as they shook hands. He looked at Ann.

“ We need you in this department, Miss Ann, so ……” Derrick said and glanced at Kamal, “ delete that number and you are safe.”

They all laughed.

“ I will give you a call.” Kamal told her before they walked into Derrick’s neat office”

Derrick went behind his desk while Kamal sat opposite him.

“ She is awesome, huh?” Derrick said

“ Ravishing.” Kamal confessed .

“Maybe too hot to handle”

“What? Is there something I should know. I have a date already.”

“Whoa! That’s fast. Faster than some officers who have tried.”

“Tell me what you know?”

“That should be after we are through with your reason for been here, I promise.”

Hearing this, Kamal forgot about her at once. “ Yeah, sure.”

Derrick drew his laptop closer and opened a file. “ He was identified as Jamil Kamil, thirty seven years old, married with four kids; two boys, two girls. We traced his wife. She probably did not know he was behind over six bomb blasts. He was a roadside motorcycle mechanic but became a dealer all of a sudden. He sold spare parts and became one of the biggest dealers in Down City.

He travelled frequently and according to his wife, he was always travelling to buy and distribute goods. That was not true. We dug further and realised that he got his goods from one Mallam Shua’ib who has delivery trucks. So he never travelled to buy goods. He had just one warehouse and shop where he hired boys to distribute his goods. So it was an excuse to have chance to execute his sinister.

His relationship with neighbours and associates was normal. He was described to be nice, gentle and kind. So no one suspected him to be a mass killer. He was believed to be victim of the terrorist attack. We had to break it to his wife. She nearly got physical with our agent who told her he was suspected to have detonated the bomb not until she saw the video clip. He had told her he was going to Lagos but seeing him at the scene of the bomb blast got her weakened. I went to see her myself. She was chastened, disappointed and scared.
Then things began to add up. Things she had seen or heard but never got the quiddity. She said it all started when Mallam Shua’ib appeared. He introduced her husband to spare part dealership which removed them from abject poverty and made them very comfortable. She became apprehensive when Mallam Shua’ib would come very late in the night to discuss with her husband in seclusion. He would call at 2:00 AM but they claimed it just business. She believed Mallam Shua’ib was part of whatever it was. It seems she knows little. We got nothing much from her so we checked on Mallam Shua’ib.

He was said to be out of town. He is rich, has four wives and over thirty kids. We could not question his family members since he is not around and if he gets wind of it, you know what I mean, so we resorted to the streets. Got nothing much except one interesting thing: a day before the bomb blast, Jamil was there to pick a little girl, believed to have been lost but found, to his house.
This was news, so we went back to Jamil’s wife. She said he said the girl was found missing and he was taking her to the police. She was about seven years old…”

“Oh my God,” Kamal said, “ she must have been the girl carrying the bomb.”

“ You get my point. This makes Mallam Shua’ib stink. I have fixed two men to watch his house. Immediately he is spotted, we move in.”

“ Who the hell are these people? What is the motive? They have not made any demand and no one has claimed responsibility for the atrocities.”

“That is the point. Always a dead end.”

“Have you looked at Jamil’s warehouse?”

“We did. Guess what, everything was sold and the money shared to his family members as Islam demands. But that was just a day after he died. They said Mallam Shua’ib bought them…just a day after his death. That is fishy. The warehouse is empty.”

“It is becoming more interesting. It is absurd to sell a deceased property a day after his death. There is more to this.”

“ Absolutely. I can’t wait to lay my hands on him.”

There was a knock at the door before Ann walked in. Kamal admired her structure.

“It’s 8:00 PM,” she said, “ I take my leave .”

“Thanks for the extra time you give.” Derrick said with a gesture.

“It’s my civic duty.” She said, eyed Kamal and left. Before Kamal could make any comment, Derrick’s phone rang. He listened, then he raised his face abruptly

“Mallam Shua’ib is back.” He said. “ Don’t loose him. On my way.” He said into the mouth piece.

“I think I should be on my way” Derrick said.

“And you expect an ATOF officer to stay back. Let’s go, buddy.”

They left the office with alacrity and got on the parking lot.

“ Where is your military jeep?”

“ There.” Kamal pointed at a green coloured jeep parked amid police cars.

“I suggest we go in yours. My boys have one there.”

“ Good.” Fifteen minutes later, they were pulling up at the end of Bukar Bulama street. They alighted and Derrick made a call. “ We are at the end of the street.” He said.

“I am a few hundred yards away from his residence. He went in some minutes ago. I asked Paul to go behind the street in case he got any ideas. “

“ Splendid Serge! I am coming over. I am with Captain Kamal of ATOF.”

“Copy that.”

Derrick nodded at Kamal. “We are good.”

They moved towards the house. Sergeant Tahir was standing, leaning on an electric pole. His alert face was stern as he saluted.

“ You stand here as a back up. Get in touch with Paul. We are going in.” Derrick said.

Tahir looked at Kamal, a bit uncomfortable.

Kamal smiled. “Don’t worry about my uniform. Even in Mufty, we will have to identify ourselves.”

Tahir nodded.

Derrick and Kamal walked towards the gate. It was a large duplex with high fence.

“It seems there is no guard.” Derrick observed. He knocked at the gate, waited, knocked again then the gate was opened. A teenager peeped and showed a startled expression. Kamal was first to smile.

“ Hello, my friend,” he said with friendliness,” we want to speak with your father.”

The boy seemed to relax, and then ran in. There was a little wait before he came back. “He said you can come in.”

“Thank you .”Kamal said, a little surprised how easy it had sounded. They were led into a living room. The large TV showed an Arabic channel. Mallam Shua’ib was sitting on a large mat which was laid on the expensive tiles that decorated the living room. He was short, chubby and bald headed. His face was shaven, except a short chin beard that was grizzled.

He looked fifty or a little less. The mat was filled with of food. In front of him was a plate of Tuwo and vegetable sauce, filled with fresh fish and beef. In another plate was chicken pepper soup cooked with garlic. There was a bowl of fruit salad close to him, a big bottle of table water, a jug of fresh fruit juice and peeled oranges. He lowered the volume of the TV, and then smiled at them, “ you are good farmers ,” he said.

Derrick did not understand what he meant but Kamal did as he was a northerner. It was a way of inviting someone to join you when he met you eating. “ Please join me .”

“ Thank you, Sir. We just had our meal.” Derrick said.

“Please sit down.” Mallam Shua’ib said, “I just returned from a long trip. My hand was in the bowl when I was told two gentlemen were here to see me. I should have ushered you in myself.”

“We understand , sir.” Kamal said. “We apologise for the inconvenience caused.”

“ Not at all. Men in uniform never cause inconvenience. You are most welcome.” His warm attitude disappointed Derrick. It was as if he was expecting them.

“ Yes, gentlemen, how may I help you?” He said after ingesting a morsel and sipped juice.

“ We can wait while you finish your meal.” Derrick said.

“ No, no ..I am a business man and I am used to discussing over meals. I am Mallam Shu’aib MaiKaya. May I know who you are?”

“ I am Detective Derrick. Derrick Etoh from CID and this is Captain kamal Noor from ATOF…”

“ Seems I have got big visitors. I know CID but ATOF, that’s new to me.” Mallam Shua’ib said.

“ Anti-terrorism Operation Force.” Kamal said.

Mallam Shu’aib raised his eyebrow. “ Anti terrorism! That is a big word.” He giggled, took another morsel and threw a chunk of fish in his mouth. “ This food must have been cooked by my first and senior wife. When it comes to cooking, leave it to her, when it comes to baking and frying, my second wife has it. My third wife is a dab hand when it comes to organisation and my last wife….fashion and taking care of me….” he giggled, “ I am not digressing what may I do for you?”

“ We are told Jamil Kamil was your friend.” Derrick began.

“ He was a business associate. May Allah forgive him.” Mallam Shu’aib said, still eating.

“ Did you know how he died?” Derrick went on .

“Yes. He was killed by terrorists in a bomb blast.”

“ He was not killed by the bomb. He was shot at a point far from the bomb blast scene.”

“ Oh…That is new. I must have been told the wrong thing. So the terrorist resorted to shooting after the blast, huh?”

“He detonated the bomb”

“What! Jamil would not do such. “ Mallam Shu’aib said, looking astonished.

“He was caught on camera.”

“ Are you sure?”

“ We are sure.” Derrick replied.

“So, what has that got to do with me?” Mallam Shu’aib said and continued eating. There was no scintilla of guilt or fear on his expression.

Kamal said nothing but studied the man intensively, watching every move he made.

“ Did you know he was going to use a little girl to bomb the complex? ” Derrick went on.

“No.” Mallam Shu’aib replied firmly, pushed the plate of Tuwo away and drew the soup closer to start tearing the chicken meat while he drank the soup.

Did you see him a day or days before the blast?”

“ I can’t remember. I see many people and he was just one of them.”

“ Try to remember, Sir.”

tijehi:
Hello Sokodobo.

Your books are a bit expensive, a lot of people may not be able to afford it. Please consider reducing the price for each of them.


Great updates by the way.

Thank you for your complement and concern.

Reducing the price is actually beyond our control. The book contains over 500 pages, DI printed, cream bond paper. Cover is laminated/foil printing.

With this, I think 3k is fear enough.

WHOcarex:
Weldon.

But it seem the story lies mostly in the past. I'm more interested in the present though.

Thank you for the complement.

We aren't halfway through the story yet. The book has 40 chapters, and we just reached 14. THE PRESENT starts from chapter 19, and of course, I guess you will find it much more interested than what you've read so far.

THIRTEEN

Naairah was now crying as she explained everything to him.

“You don’t have to cry.” He said and she could feel the grogginess in his voice. “You have done nothing wrong. You waited almost four years of uncertainty. It is fate Naairah…” She noticed that he had stopped calling her Miss Sunshine. Her heart was breaking. “ We just have to accept our destinies.”

“ Where are you, right now?”

“Do not bother about that. I will be on Nnaemeka first thing in the morning back ,then think of where to move to next. You are a married woman now….it would not be proper to meet with you.”

“ We had an agreement with the guy I married.”

“An agreement.?”

“Yes. He would divorce me whenever you came back and he……he has not…..not come to my bed.”

“ What? But I doubt if he would agree now. I don’t want to complicate things. If your father finds out that I came back to cause trouble in your
marital life….it would not go down well.”

“ I will talk to him now. Please Haya….Adnan. Let me talk to him.”

There was a short pause.

“ Do that……but if he does not agree, I will be off by morning.”

She felt how heartbroken he was and she felt tears disgorging. That was Adnan, the love of her life, the one who meant everything to her about to slip away for the last time and the way he spoke, he was going away and was not coming back.She ended the call and felt a new stream of courage flowing through her. She got up, wore her veil and opened the door, and then headed straight to Hayat’s room. She knocked and entered. She met him on his bed, using his i-pad.
He seemed to be astonished to see her. She had never come to his room.

“What is wrong?”

She wore a sullen expression, looking pathetic, dejected, desperate and weak.

“Hayat……please I need your help.”

“Hmmmmm?”

“Our agreement…..I think the time has come.”

He frowned.

“What are you talking about?”

“Please divorce me. Please.”

“I can’t do that. I am not wicked.”

“ It will be the most kind thing you have ever done. Adnan is back.”

She saw shock on his face.

“What?”

“He just called me. He is around.” She was crying again.

“How dare he call my wife without my consent?”

“He did not know I was married. I just told him….he plans to leave in the morning. Please let me go.”

Hayat wore an expression that scared her. He seemed not be diving towards compromise.

“ I can’t do that.”

“Please…you promised and the six months you said has not even completed. Please……”

He got off the bed, took slow steps to the window, then turned at her.

“How do I believe you are telling the truth.”

“I swear it was him. I can never miss his voice.”

“Don’t say things to make me feel jealous.”

“I am sorry. I will not do that again. Please forgive me. I never intended to hurt you.”

“You really love this guy.”

She shook her head.

“No, I don’t love him. I just want to fulfill a promise.”

Hayat chuckled.

“ I wonder what you take me for. Do I look like a toddler to you?”

“No. you don’t.”

“ Can you see how you look? What if I divorce you and he says he would not get married to a divorcee, what would you do?”

“ Do not bother about what he would say to me. Please, just divorce me.”

“ God! What the hell did this Adnan do to you?”

“ He did not do it. We did it…..We never planned it.”

“Chose your words carefully. I am still your husband.”

“Yes, sir.”

He stared at her. He could see that all she wanted in the world was a divorce just to be with the so called Adnan.

“Okay, are you willing to pay the price? I will divorce you if you will do me a favour.”

“What? Just mention it.”

He smirked.

“We will consummate our marriage tonight. Spend the night with me and I will divorce you.”

She felt a bang in her head.

“That is the only condition that will set you free. One night.”

“ What?” Naairah raised her eyebrows, her eyes rolled absentmindedly and he saw the glitters of paramount beauty.

“ That is your freedom ticket. Why do you make it sound as if I am asking you to commit adultery with me? I am only asking for what rightly belongs to me. You are mine now and not his. Just one night….okay, you don’t have to spend the whole night with me, let us just consummate our marriage and you are free.”

She closed her eyes, imagining Adnan somewhere, grieving, shattered and planning to leave her forever. Could she afford to let him go? But Hayat was her husband, it would not be adultery, all she wanted was to be with Adnan.
No! She would not let him have it. He agreed to the terms and it was not going to change. She could not imagine herself with another man. She had prayed and hoped Adnan would be the first and probably the last.
She felt the tears escaping through her eye lids.

“ Hayat….please don’t do this to me.”

“What am I doing to you? If he truly loves you, he would not mind.”

“It is an honour I was preserving for him. We were together so many times and he never tried to get it out of the right way. I want him to be the one….I have the regrets of not having him as my first husband already……please do this for me. You are handsome. I must confess, you are more handsome than him, you have more money, he has nothing, he was even proudly telling me he runs a business centre near a university.
That is a great achievement to him. You are from a rich family. You have your biological family around you. But my heart lies with him. Nothing of glamour would make me trade him for anything. My happiness is trapped with him, he captured my smiles, my love, my laughter and the only way to get them out is to be with him. If he goes away, he will take them away. I will have no love left for another man, no real smile to pacify him and my laughter would be missing. Please save my life. You are a dream man. So many girls will die to have you.
I guess if I had not met Adnan, I would have fallen for you. Please let me go tonight, let me go and look for him.”

“Do you know where he is?”

“He won’t tell me because I told him I am married.”

“What if I let you go and he says he does not want you?”

“ I will bear my cross.”

“ I will not let you go until I see him.”

She paused.

“How? He will never come here and he is leaving in the morning.”

“That is my new condition. You don’t want to consummate our marriage with me…okay, I will let that go but I will have to see him, if he says he would marry you after I divorce you, then I will divorce you there but if he says no, then you are stuck with me….and if we don’t find him…….then it is over. You will remain my wife.”

“Please….”

“I will not change my mind.” He said and got back to the bed.

She studied him and felt he was surely not going to listen to her pleas. She nodded.

“Thank you.” She said and went out.

She rushed back to her room and picked her phone. She dialled Adnan’s number but to her dismay, it was switched off.

What?

Did he do that on purpose? Did he change his mind after she told him she was married? Was he avoiding her calls?
She cried softly. Who could she tell this? She wanted to share, have someone to tell her what to do. She was befuddled, her head was in turmoil, and thoughts moved like gas molecules.
She sat on the bed, and kept trying the number within intervals until she heard the call for prayers.

It was dawn.

She brushed her mouth,performed ablution and prayed. Then she recalled what Adnan said.
I will be on Nnaemeka first thing in the morning.
Nnaemeka!

That was a transportation company at Fadeyi Road. He would be there. She sprang up, rushed a bath, got dressed and went towards Hayat’s room. She met him as he was coming back from Masjid.

“Good morning.” She greeted respectfully.

“Good morning Miss Sunshine.”

She did not complain. If he was trying to provoke her, then he was wrong. She needed his cooperation now.

“I think I know where we can find him.”

“Where?”

“ Nnaemeka’s”

“Who is Nnaemeka?”

“The transportation company. He is going to board a car there this morning. If we go on time, we would see him.”

He grimaced.

“ I will come with you….but be rest assured that if you end up wasting my time, I will never let you go again .”

She nodded.

He went into his room. She leaned against the wall, her palms together and the tip of her fingers underneath her chin.
She hoped and prayed he should not change his mind.
He came out holding his car keys.

Thank God.“ Let us go.” He said. As they began to move, Adnan’s call came through.

She picked it with alacrity.

“Hay….Adnan?”

“ Good morning.”

“Good morning. Where are you?”

“I need to speak with your husband.” He said. “Is he close by?”

This surprised her. Why? But Hayat was listening.

“Yes, he is here.”

“Give the phone to him.”

She passed the phone to him.

“Who?”

“ Him,” She replied .She saw jealousy splashed on his face.

“What does he want?”

“I don’t know.”

“Hello?” He said .

“ Hi, I am Adnan Abbas.”

“Do we have any truck with each other?”

“ I just wanted to say……”

The line cut.

“Hello, hello….hello.”

Hayat tried to call back but Adnan’s phone was switched off, he hissed and gave the phone back to her.

“Let us go.” He said and they went out.

Some minutes later, Hayat was bringing the car to a halt. They were at Nnaemeka Travellers Garage. They saw three Luxury buses parked with smaller cars. It was a few minutes after seven o’cklock in the morning.
Naairah checked the waiting passengers but did not see Adnan. She kept checking until Hayat got impatient. He told her that they had to go to office. They had worked her transfer to Abuja and she was now serving at a secondary school where she taught Economics.
Adnan’s line was switched off.What was going on? Why was it happening this way. She began to ask the passengers, describing Adnan but it really did not make sense to them. She hesitated then opened her gallery and displayed his picture.
“Okay” An official said, “ He followed the dawn bus. They left around 5:00am.Nndubisi, biya(come)”he called another official. “Do you have the dawn profile pictures?”

“Yes nah.”

“ Display.” The man said. “ We do record their information in case of …..you know nah, accident or something so we do collect their data, number and pictures.”

She saw his picture. It was Adnan and she was damn sure now he was not related to Hayat. He had gone! He left her….he left her ,he did not love her anymore or he felt she was married and it was the end.

Adnan was out of her life. What just happened? He left and switched off his phone. So it was all a wasted effort, trying to keep her body and soul for him, hoping he would come for her. It was over. She left the place and went straight to the car, got in and began to cry.
Hayat seemed to be glad but he knew it was not the right time to show this. He said nothing, pretending not to be happy but he was deep down. He got under the wheel, and then set the car in motion.

“I am sorry about this.” He said in a moody tone. “ We have desires, wishes but things may not be the way we want it. All we need to do is pray for the best and only Allah knows the best. I want you to put your trust in Allah.
Please give me the chance to love you like he did, or more, and let me take that smile, love, laughter he took away. If you let me, I can go after him and take them, modify them, upgrade them, secure them and hold it for you.
You have been blocking the feelings you have for me, refusing to recognize it because of your first love. I agreed to this crazy idea because of the love I have for you. There is no girl that makes me feel what you make me feel and I doubt if there would be another.
Please take me as a substitute, who knows if you will finally fall in love with me. That is what you are scared of, giving me the chance to get closer, so you don’t betray him. It is not everyman who has a girl and finds out that she got married would still want her. Feelings change.
He may not even believe we did not consummate our marriage. I can still wait but just give me a chance to be happy. Give me that smile, that love and care…..”

“He took it away.” She said. “He had it with him. He controlled them and he just left with them.
I can’t give you what I don’t have. I am sorry. I may have being attracted to your cuteness and personality, or something I can’t recognise but the fact remains that my heart only melted for him. I still want a divorce.”

“What?”

“I do. He is gone and the deal may soon be off. I might get in trouble if I fail my duties as a wife and I don’t think I am ready to take them, We all made a mistake from the start. The deal was crazy. I should not have married you. I should have……”she broke down again.
The rest of the journey back home was made in silence and her sobs.

“I think we should stay back home today and settle this.” He suggested. “ We can’t go to work like this.”

“I am leaving today.” She said firmly. “ I am broken, Hayat. Adnan just left me in a manner I least expected. I still can’t understand it. I am not myself, I don’t even know if I am alive or dead, awake or asleep. Adnan just left me. I want to go away from everybody and everything. I just need time to be with myself. My life is mine and only me knows the pains I am feeling right now.”

They arrived home and went into the building. Still crying, she went to her room and jumped on the bed to disgorge tears.
She cried, then tried the number again, it kept ringing but no one picked it. She sat up, and wiped off tears. She removed her veil, flung it on the floor and went to her cloth closet.

“ Miss Sunshine.” Hayat called from behind. She turned startled. “ I told you I will not leave.”

It was then she saw a phone in his hand ringing.

“ I was there on your graduation in a suit and we got married on the 10th of March, exactly four years after I said by the will of Allah.”
Naairah felt an explosion in her head!

There was air of opulence, aristocracy and power in the open yard of Alexander Hamilton’s park.
The Republican candidate, Mrs Grant and the Democrat candidate, Mr Ian Garfield were the two most influential candidates but Mrs Grant seemed to be the people’s choice. Coming here with Kim was daring but Damon had little or nothing to fear. He had to see her. See what her reaction would be. He was only allowed in because he was with Kim. It was another charity program organised by the Grants.

Kim got him a well cut suit which made him blend in with the opulent guests. She made sure she held on to him, giving that he’s mine sign. Damon did not protest. If he did, she may kick him out. They were ushered to a seat, with many important dignitaries around. There was a lot to drink.

“ I love you.” Kim whispered into his ears.

Damon smiled. He could not say that back but he had to do something.

He held her hand and squeezed it a bit. She giggled. He mumbled something that sounded like I love you.
The guests were all seated. Security seemed so tight. There were nuns, probably representing orphanages. He saw a lot of children too and the press. He could see hope and joy on their faces. Then the Grants came in. Richard wore a simple dress, which according to him showed modesty. Who would have guessed this was a man? Then Maria was beside him, with her swaggering beards and well sawn suit. Jeff was ahead of them, looking smart and handsome. He was no doubt Alicia’s brother. Alicia and Steve were behind. He was so close to her and Damon felt like going to strangle him. But on a second thought, he could not blame him. When you caught your girl with another guy, and he is not forcing her to be with him, then blame just the girl. So, the blame was hers. She did not look like one who was forced. Her face beamed, and no scintilla of regret on her pretty face. He felt his hands clenching. Kim ran her fingers over his hand slowly.

“ Take it easy.” She said. “ You are tensed. If you wish, we could have a quickie in the restroom. That will relax your nerves.”

He was getting used to her bluntness.

“ I am good. We have a longer night ahead.” He said with a roguish smile.

“ I can’t wait to have you……. on that innocent bed”

The Program started. Richard made a speech. So hypocritical. He was cheered, and the deil was eloquent. He knew how to hold the crowd spellbound. He donated twenty million dollars to an orphanage, built two hundred housing units for the homeless, and promised to rehabilitate four hundred drug addicts. There was an after party. Some hip hop stars, stand-up comedians were privileged to perform.

Damon was standing with Kim, holding a glass of champagne when he saw Richard and his wife walking around, exchanging pleasantries, smiling and shaking hands, looking like the harmless couple they claimed to be.
And they got to where Damon and Kim stood. Richard looked at Damon whom felt some of courage drifting away. Behind those eyes he saw darkness, and felt uncomfortable.

“ Kim.” Richard said and hugged her. “ Your mother is over there, hope you know.”

She nodded and hugged Maria.

“ Hello. Young man.” He offered his hand. As Damon shook it, he felt the strength in it. “ Damon, right”

Damon nodded.

“ I don’t get it. Kim , is he…” Richard began.

“ He is my boyfriend.” Kim said bluntly. “ And whatever happened in the past was a mix-up”

“ I don’t know what happened in the past.” Maria said. “ All I know is that I saved him from the police because he was Alicia’s friend……before she was abducted by a psychopath.”

Kim seemed to be befuddled. Her lips shook, but Damon held her hand and smiled.

“ I’m sorry your daughter was abducted. But the masses did not know about it, right, Sir?” Damon said.

“ We did not make it public. The investigation went on and thank God, she was found and the kidnapper is still at large. We paid no ransom.”

Richard said.

Damon did not want it to go farther before he was picked up for kidnap. He could not trust Alicia to deny that.

“ I’m sorry about it, Mr and Mrs Grant. What a charitable work you are doing.”

“Thank you, Damon.” Said Richard. “ But the storm is over. Alicia is going to be a mother soon and we get our first grandchild. I hope you would be as lucky as Steve with Kim.”

“ Thank you, Sir.” Damon faked a smile. “ I hope so too.”

Kim chuckled.

“ I love to have babies but I don’t want to lose my shape.” She touched her small waist.

“ What if your mother had felt the same way?” Said Maria sarcastically, “ you could not have had the shape you don’t want to lose.”

“ I don’t think Steve will let Alicia lose shape. I am so proud of him.” Richard said.

If these people were trying to raise Damon’s hackles, make him feel jealous, then they were making a success of it.

“ We have some guests to attend to.” Said Maria. “ I hope you don’t mind. Enjoy yourselves.”

Richard touched Damon’s shoulders , held his wife and they left. Well, he was the only one among the guests perhaps who knew who the husband was and who the wife was.

“ What was that?” Kim wondered. “ Didn’t they know you married her?”

“ No. We got married in court and left for Africa. They could not have known.” He lied.

She shrugged. “ Whatever.” She said. “ I own you now.”

He faked a smile.

“ Just like she owns Steve now.” She added and he felt a pricking pain in his heart. Why did she just say that? Why was everyone trying to get him crazy?

“ See who we’ve got here.” Steve said from behind.

God! He was standing with Alicia like a husband. That is my wife dude. I do not remember divorcing her. At least you could have waited for a separation. But when he looked into Alicia’s eyes, he forgot about Steve. It was her fault. She wanted him. She was happy with him. What happened to her?

Kim hugged her.

“ Hey, be careful, Kim” Steve said. “ You don’t hug her like you used to. I got Steve Junior in there.”

Alicia chuckled. Oh my God! Damon’s hands went into his pocket and clenched.

“ Hey, Damon. Nice to see you again.” Steve said with a smile and offered his hand.

Don’t be childish, Damon cautioned himself, don’t let him push you.

“ It’s ….nice to see you too.” Damon lied.

Alicia behaved as if she had never seen him.

She gave him a formal nod.

“ Hello Damon.” She said. “ It’s been a while.”

“ Hello,” was all Damon could say.

That pain was back.

“ I thought you wouldn’t recognise her.” Steve said, “looking bigger, huh?”

“ Just because I’m pregnant does not change me.”

“Congratulations” Damon said, not knowing when he said it.

“Thank you.” Steve replied. “ I can see you guys are having fun. I try to have fun but this lady here would not let me.” He touched her shoulder.

Aaaarrggggg!!!

“ I never knew what it meant to have an expectant woman until now.” Steve said and giggled. “ You will get there someday Damon, and Kim would be more pesky than Pacific Alicia.”

“ Oh, shut up,” Said Kim. “ You are not the only caring guy in the house.” She gave Damon a peck.

“ Damon is a perfect guy and he knows how to take care of me, don’t you, Damon?”

“ Sure, Kim.” Damon said dryly.

He wanted to tell Steve to shut up and remind him that they were still legally married but with the Grants around, you could never tell. Now he was getting bullied.

“ Can I have your phone, please?” Alicia said to Steve.

“ Why, sure.”

He gave the phone to her.

“ I need to speak to Damon……alone.” She said .

“ You don’t have to do this, honey.” Steve said. “ We can’t make a scene here. You were not meant to see it.”

“ I have to end this right now.” She said and Damon could see anger in her blue eyes.

“ I need to speak with you, Damon, right now.”

“ I hope it’s all good.” Kim said.

“ After this, it will be all good…for us.” She replied still looking at Damon angrily.

She led him through the crowed until they arrived the parking lot where fleets of posh cars parked.
He could sense her pains as she walked. She must have been feeling heavy. She opened the gallery, put on a video and handed the phone to him.

Damon was shocked.

“ Someone is trying to blackmail Kim and he got this video.” She said. “ And you are the bait. It was sent to her brother who sent it to Steve.”

It was a footage of him and Kim in her Jacuzzi, then on her bed and the pictures did not look good. Not good. He meant not good at all.

Damon was speechless. He did not know what to say. But this video was not the cause of her relationship with Steve. This was just an excuse. This video was shot a day before now and that morning but she was eight months pregnant for him.

“ It’s not what you think.” Damon said. What the hell was wrong with him? He owed her no explanation. She gave him a look of astonishment, tears accumulating in her eyes. He was angry with her, yet he did not want to see her get hurt. He was done with her but wanted her to keep smiling for old time sake.

“ Why are you having that look on your face? Why are you trying to deny?” She shook her head.” This video is real, it shows you in a debauchery state. I don’t know how it happened, or why, but I do know one thing: I trust you. There must be some kind of explanation. It does not matter what I see, it is what I feel and I know that you, Damon can never cheat on me.”

Trust!
Trust!!
Trust!!!

That was the word. He felt chastened, remorseful, ashamed and full of regret. How could he claim to love her so much with no trust? Here she was, holding a video that vividly showed him in a grubby act with Kim, yet for trust she disbelieved it. No relationship could survive without trust. You can never watch over a woman all the time, you can never stop her from cheating on you if she wanted to. A relationship not built on trust is groggy, like a building with no foundation.

Just that word unveiled his eyes. He was blind. The fever she had in Nigeria, the nausea, the hate of jasmine fragnance she used to love, the waking up at night and demanding for carrots, the appetite for almost everything she saw, the act of asking for something and when it was brought she changed her mind saying she hated the odour. He was too inexperienced to know it. She was pregnant. The child is mine.

“ Oh my God!” She exclaimed, giving him a surprised look.

“ Don’t tell me you believed the crap about I and Steve dating. So, you believed he owned the pregnancy. How could you Damon? How could you even think I could love another man apart from you? How could I let somebody else have what belongs to you? Even if you were dead, I would never let Steve have me. I know what I went through when I thought you died. I know what I felt when I was told you were alive. But I had to tag along. I was living for our baby. I did not want to die without carrying your child. Steve has been kind to me but I don’t trust him, I don’t trust Kim, the only person I trust is you. You are all I have and cherish….and this poor baby of yours inside of me. I’m doing this just for us.”

“ I’m sorry, Alicia.”

“ Don’t come close to me. I know they are watching us. I act like we are breaking up. I want to hug you, I want to kiss you, I wish you are with me, to rub my aching waist, to massage me, to get me milk from the refrigerator, to tell me not to be scared. I don’t want my child to be deprived of fatherly love. But, I am scared. They want to force Steve on me. I am a prisoner in my house. I can’t go out on my own, my phone is been tapped, they watch everything I do and I don’t want you to get involved any longer. Not after all we went through. They will kill you…..”

Then all of a sudden, she changed.

“ I hate you, Damon! You bloody cheat!!”

She grabbed him by his shirt. Steve moved in and held her hands.

“ I told you not to make a scene. The press are here.”

She pretended to let Damon go reluctantly. Damon now got the message. She had seen Steve coming. She walked away angrily leaving Damon and Steve there.

“ I think this ends it,” Steve said, “ you bring nothing but pain to her and that child is now mine. I don’t want anything to hurt her or my child”

“ How can you claim it when you know it belongs to me.”

“ It’s not about my love for the child, Damon.” He said. “ It’s about the show of power. You came and took her away from me. Now, I will have her back along with what is yours and you can do no shit about it. Now you have been fixed. “

“ You and Kim set this up.” Damon said. “ The picture of you giving her milk, you sent it to upset me. How did Kim find me? You guys were stalking me, you set me up.”

“ It’s not a set-up. It’s a game. May the best man win. Now that she is no more in love with you, I stand the chance of having her. And a piece of advice, better keep on with Kim. She played her part to get you. I don’t know why these girls are so stupid to fall for a low classed dog like you. Better stick to her, it’s not every day you get the chance to scre* a billionaire and beautiful blond like Kim. Alicia is out of your reach for ever.”

He smiled at Damon, nodded then walked away majestically. Damon was wrong about Alicia. Now, he had to do all he could to save her. As he walked back into the crowd, he saw two interns running with a stretcher. What was going on? It was Alicia! She seemed to be in pains. They lay her on it and moved quickly but meticulously to a van. She was in labour. Oh my God!
He tried to run after them but a strong arm stopped him. He turned to see Bug. He had a hand in his pocket and Damon knew it was a gun.

“ Come with me.” He said sinisterly.

As Bug forced Damon to follow him, he thought of his wife been taking to the labour room. He prayed, hoped he would have the pleasure of seeing his child and wife again. Tears accumulated in his eyes.

2009

Maryam opened her eyes and saw Ameer sitting and watching her. She saw intense care, love, affection in his eyes. She was still finding it hard to believe.
On the day she had the attack, she was barely conscious. She could sense the things happening around her, see but could not talk or move. She could see the fear and agitation on Ameer’s face, the way he held her and something in her felt she needed to be strong for him.
Miraculously, she found the strength to utter one sentence : take me home.

It was a dicey decision to make. One part told him that she did not know what she was saying. How could someone who was dying be taken home instead of a hospital? Her parents were both lawyers and not medical doctors.
Another part of him told him she may know why she said so and maybe taking her to the hospital may waste time and jeopardise her life. He prayed then found himself saying , “ take a left turn. We are going to Ungwan rimi.”

That was what saved her life that day. When they got to the house, the parents were expecting them because Ameer called. The dad was not around but had to rush back home. They had rushed her, with Ameer carrying her, to a room as directed by the mother.
Ameer was amazed as he saw the room. There was a hospital bed, then a sophisticated and complicatedly built machine he had no idea what it was all about. She was rushed on the bed, the mum crying, while the doctor who was waiting got to work.They were asked to excuse the doctor, after he fixed the machine into her. What was wrong with her? Whatever it was, this was not the first time.

She spent three days without a word or movement. Ameer never left her except when he went to have a quick bath or use the restroom or went to masjid. Not even after he was advised by her parents to take a break. He would sit watching over her, knowing she could not move or talk but fixed to the strange machine.

This was the third day ,she opened her eyes fully.

“ Ameer..” She whispered.

“Shhh..let me call the nurse.”He said, excited that she talked.

“ No. The machine takes care of it. I need Rayyan.”

He looked at her for a few seconds then he went to the machine and unplugged the wires fixed to her. He then moved to her and carefully raised her, carrying her gently.

“What are you doing?”she said lightly, feeling embarrassed.

“ Watch me.”

He moved and opened the door to the restroom and took her in. Carefully placed her on the WC and said, “ Call me when you are ready.” He went out and closed the door.
How did he know she needed to pee? Was this guy for real? She had been hearing his movement for three days, knowing he was there but she could not talk to him. She wished she could tell him to go and rest, have some fresh air but she could not. Not even a movement.
Tears filled her eyes as she sat there. What life was this?

When she was done, she wondered how she would let him come carry her. Rayyan was her younger brother and he used to help her. The nurse was a lady and could not handle that. She only felt the need to pee when she was fully awake and able to talk.
She tried and stood up after cleansing, flushed then wore her pants, redressed her clothes but could not sum up courage to call him. He was seeing her in her worst condition.

“Anybody home?” He knocked.

Crazy! She could not handle this guy. She let go.

“ Come in.” she said.

He came in, a smile planted on his face. A smile just to pacify her but he was deep down in pain, knowing she was going through a difficult time.
He carried her, she held him by the neck.

“ Don’t be scared.” He said as he placed her gently on the bed, “ Allah sees through our heart.The angel on the left won’t write anything insha Allah.”

She smiled.
She watched him fix the wires back.

“How did you learn this?”

“I was here when they were fixing it. it was important to your life so I found it important to know how to do it. After the doc, I saw Rayyan do it once.”

“ Thank you.”

“Thank me? Hey, I don’t care that you are sick, we will fight if you thank me again. This is my responsibility. Let me call the nurse and tell mum you are fully awake.”He stayed by her for another six days and she was glad he did. He kept her company, and gave her strength.

“ This is a condition I had since I was in secondary school but it was not as worse as this. It is a combination of unconventional diseases. A strange hormone precipitates a certain chemical in me that increases my metabolic kinetic energy and produce massive heat which triggers a kind of muscular dystrophy that causes my muscles to be very weak. Then dysarthria comes in which makes it impossible for me to talk. This has been my fate for years. It may not happen always, but it is getting worse.
This machine is custom made and cost about sixty thousand dollars to build. I have wanted to tell you this but failed……Before Liman, there was Tahir. And history always repeats itself in my relationships. He was my first fiancé . We met in London. He was into drugs and got into trouble. I helped him, ran helter-skelter round the embassy and he was extricated.

His father was tired of him. He abandoned him and he was about to drop out. I stopped him, I was working at the same time schooling. I used my money to keep him going , got him into rehabilitation and he came out clean .Somehow, we got closer and a relationship started.
Our parents got to know and he became very normal and responsible. He proposed and we got engaged. Then, I had an attack. He was there like you were there. When he got to learn about my condition….he tactically withdrew.

I only heard of his wedding a week before. He broke my heart. After a while, Liman showed up. I never wanted another relationship. Liman was jailed in London for an offence he did not commit but he was unfortunate to be at the crime scene.
I got to know as a law student then. I got him a lawyer, went around to get him help and he was released. We got into a relationship. He proposed. Mum advised me to give it a try. I told him about my condition. He said there was no problem, he could handle it. When he saw how I was when I got an attack, he acted in a manner that got me disgruntled.

He did not want to come close to me or see me. I called the engagement off and he was going to do it anyway. Then you came. You were in trouble and Allah used me to help you. When you proposed, I became scared. It was the third. Similar story.
So I got paranoid, and began to avoid you. I just wanted us to remain as friends or brother and sister. By that, there won’t be disappointment, heartbreak. But you got me at last. I could not resist you. Mum asked me to tell you but I couldn’t.
I knew I was wrong. All I could do was try to avoid you but once we started I realised I did not want to lose you…….” She was in tears.

“ Shhhhh…..” Ameer made a futile attempt to stop tears from his eyes. “ Now, listen to me. I will never forgive you if for once, in your heart, you feel I am here because I feel indebted to you. Don’t you ever think I am here because of what you did for me. Physical qualities, character are factors that spice it up, increase the bond and affection but the reason for love is unknown.

A girl could be bad and you love her. But because of her habits, you decide not to marry her but that does not kill the love. A girl could be nice , cute but you don’t love ,yet you marry her and live in peace but the love cannot be built. Love is a mystery. It is difficult to differentiate between affection, infatuation, indebtedness, compassion and love. I know love is when I still feel for a girl without all her good habits and beauty, when I can’t find a reason for having feelings for her.

I felt it once, and I felt it again. I can’t find the main reason I want you but I am lucky, you have all I want in a woman. So, bury the history. I am here for you and I am not leaving you.”
She was still crying. She believed him but he did not know all of it. None of them ever treated her like he did. He saw her in her worst moment and he never found her repulsive.

“ I believe you.”

He smiled and that smile was a therapy to her.

“ I told you. I am dangerous. You are my target. All of your tricks will not deter me from abducting you. And I am taking this super computer with me,” he pointed at the big machine. “ We are going to get a big room for it. Damn! So all your running away from me was a storm in a tea cup. I thought you got a serious reason. This is no big deal. The big deal is that I love you and not for what you are. Case dismissed.”

“ There is something else. Where the main problem lies.”

“ What is it?”

“ The truth is……..I can’t have a child. If I do, they may get infected. It could be inherited. I don’t want to have offspring that will suffer.”

“ Who said I needed a child. Babies cry, the pee, they pooh…I am okay with no child….”

“Ameer….”

“Okay. Yes, I love them and I want to have them but if you can’t ,would that make me leave you? Will that make us live in melancholy? This world is temporary and everything we love will either leave us or we leave them. Al-jannah is the main abode. I am not saying we should not seek for worldly things but we got to think ahead. I am okay once I am with you and let me tell you something…Ameer Adam believes in miracle, in Allah’s will and I never lose hope….my sitting here is a miracle. I was condemned to death.
Damn! I got a stubborn victim. All your talks won’t make me change my mind. You are getting abducted and it is stamped…insha Allah. Do you have any more flimsy excuse?”

She looked at him and smiled.

“ I guess you are not human.” She said. “ That is all I feared.”

“Please never change your mind. I think we should get married ASAP.”

Someone said the sallama and came in. It was their house help who just came back from the village.

“ Eyaaah, aunty, are you sick again?”

“No, “ Ameer said, “ does she look sick?”

“ Yaya kenan. She is sick now.”

“Kumatu what is it?” Maryam asked knowing she was a weirdo.

“ Your boy wants to come and greet you.”

“ My boy?”

“Yes, that one that used to come and go.”

“ Kumatu anyone who does not live in this house comes and goes.”

“ Toh de! That one now, remember…”

“Send him in.”

Ameer laughed as she went out.

“You have seen nothing of her.” She said.

“Assalamu alikum.” Mr Farouq said and walked in and was shocked to find Ameer.

Ameer and Maryam exchanged glances.“ I knew it was strange.” He said. “ It was you all along.”

Sensitivity1254:
Ya kamata ka bi duk wannan abubuwa a hankali domin zaman lafita da kwancin rai na ka da na gidan ka.

Gaskiya ne. Na gode da wannan shawaran

Sensitivity1254:
Labarin nan yana nunawa dai dai abubuwan da ya me Faruwa a Arewa ta East na kasa Nijeriya da massalolin ISWAP (Jamā'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihād).

Ya kamata ka

Wannan maganan haka yake, dan-Uwa

FOURTEEN

2007

" I think it would be for the best." Ameena said as they sat on a long on the corridor. " I have been thinking about it."

" Move back to Gombe?" Amaar asked, his face crinkled.

" Yes. A lot of people come here for donations and charity work and some of them disturb Aunty for my hand in marriage. She tells them that I have a suitor and guess what? They get angry and stop coming......she said they should go for all she cared. I was not for sale and if they would not do it fisabilillah (For the sake of God), then they should go.
But I feel uncomfortable. If I was not here, they would have been coming. My stay is not helping matters."

Amaar sighed. The past year and the present was a period he was not going to forget. The peak of his vicissitudes, the point where the real world was unveiled to him. Since Ameer was arrested, and innocent souls killed, he knew no peace. Ameena was one person who made him move on. She was young but blessed with wisdom, perseverance, tenacity, understanding, doggedness, and resilience.
He was shocked when he learnt that Jezebel was involved. Ameer never told him. Why? The same reason he never told him too. Protection! They should have talked about it. God! Only if he knew.

The silence.
The secrets.
All not good.

Now that the did was done, his only brother and best friend was lavishing in jail. They had been running helter-skelter, spending millions of naira just to save him but nothing positive was erupting. No one was willing to help.
They began to face financial problems. That was when he started working at the block industry. Ameena stood by him. She propounded an idea, and started making tiger-nut juice and go with him and sell.
Then he would accompany her back home before going home. This was while she was awaiting her result after secondary school. Now, they were out of resource and the last house has just been sold. Ameer had told them not to spend a dime again.

He said it was just a waste. There was no new evidence to extricate him. The lawyers were just after their money and knew there was no way out. He was ready to accept his fate. Ameer made sense but Amaar was not ready to give up. But what could he do? He knew his brother was right.

When Ameena gained admission, Amaar put in some money in her account for her education. She was in her second semester now.

" Why Gombe? Why can't we look for somewhere else?'

" I want to go back home. I was scared because I had no one to turn to then. I have you now. I have a life now. I am not scared of Gogo anymore. I will go to the village. I want to see my younger sisters. I pray this problem gets over so we can get married. Your home is where I will find rest of mind. That is the final goal.
But someone has to give me out in marriage. It has to by my family members. My paternal family members. I don't want to get married in a court. So, the relationship should be established from now.
My grandfather is alive and you know him. They know you. So, when I go back home, you will pretend to be meeting me for the first time. I know this decision is hard on me because it means seeing you less frequently but I think the sacrifice is imperative to make the future work out. But if you feel the decision, rather suggestion is shoddy, then your wish will be my command."

He concurred and the decision was reached. She went back to Gombe one week later. It was hard for them both but they had option .
Her grandparents lived in a small village called Kurmin dada, about one hundred kilometres from Kaltingo LGA. She was a native of Gombe but the grandparents lived in the small remote village for more than forty years.

They could scarcely recognize her the day she arrived. She had grown up, sophisticated and more beautiful. Gogo Uwale told them that she ran away from where she took her to earn scholarship.
But the joy of seeing her again was overwhelming. Sa'adat who was now twelve years old still remembered her sister vividly but Aisha who was now seven had only a vague memory of her elder sister. The reunion was quite emotional with tears, joy and remembrance.

Ameena bought a lot of things for her younger sisters, and grandparents. She also got extra things for relatives and neighbours. And so many people were coming to see her and greet her.

Six days after her arrival, Baba Shehu, her grandfather was sitting under the mango tree in front of his compound when a boy brought a bag of maize. He said it was a gift from his father. What for? He sent the boy back to ask.
The father said it was a gift for an old man. Then Lado sent a bowl of bush meat to the old man and gifts kept coming.

Hmmmm...

The old man smiled at himself. He was remembered all of a sudden.

Ameena was inside her hut ,anxiously waiting for Amaar who promised coming when Aisha said someone wanted to see her. She asked who it was but the little girl said she did not know his name.
She hoped it was not Amaar because that was not the plan. She wore her veil and went out of the compound.
She saw who she guessed was the person. He sat comfortable on a motor bike with various stickers placed on it. From Hausa film actors to Indian actors. He sat on the 'rubber-rubber' like he was sitting on the latest model of Harley- Davidson that would make Charlie-Boy bow.

He was short, stocky and dark. She guessed he was between twenty-four and twenty-six. He wore a shirt which she had to look at twice before she realised it was not a kaftan. A shirt that was knee length, and wide, making him look like a child hiding in his father's clothes trying to dodge Islamiya. He wore a face cap which was turned backwards, a baggy trouser which covered his brogues. It seemed he had much love for side burns and nature did not bless him with it so the few strands of hair that sprouted on his cheeks was tanned with dye in a shape that suited him. Most of the side burns was made of dye.

He sat on the bike with a bottled water, which he sipped with great care, and ostentation. An android phone, Gionee P2 proudly conspicuously displayed in his hand.

What was this?

He produced a smile. The smile he once told his friends made married women quiver so he did not like smiling in public. This same smile made Ameena feel like shutting her eyes. Why did he remind her of Shrek?

" Season greetings." He said . " I am sorry por disturbance you. My name is Lado Auxillary but my prends is kwaling me Auxi Lolo or Auxi America. I am a candy...."

"What?"

" A candy. A candy is a personality who is write am por WAEC and graduant prom school. Me is told you too is a candy. Me I don't like billege girls bekwas they is billege life. So, I am kwam to expression my lof because me is not just lof but marry lof."

He paused to sip water, making sure she saw the brand name. It was Swan. That was not easy.

" I really appreciate you....."

"Auxi Lolo."

"Okay, Auxi Lolo. Thank you for coming. I am not yet a candy. I am still a chocolate. I have not gotten to that level yet. So, I would only start having boyfriends when I become a candy like you."

Chocolate? What level of education was chocolate? But he would not confess to her that he did not know it." No. Eben me is a chocolate bepore I am candy. I can manage am chocolate ai. You see, lof is no matter the lebel of academicating. True lof is roses and flowers. And my lof am pro you is ocean in the canal. You see, I am see the world and trable bery bery par. Please lofing me now."

" Auxi Lolo...'

"Yo."

" I am not interested now. Come back in two years so I can tell you what I decide but don't wait for me."

She turned to go when another small boy ran to her. There was another man waiting for her. He was around fifty six years old. That was Mallam Sarfilu, the man who sent a bag of maize to her grandfather. He looked like a cast for a comedy Hausa movie. He had three wives and he needed a younger and more educated girl.
And the village was hit with the news of the arrival of a very pretty educated girl, he decided it was time. He was sure she could not resist him. Lado was just a small boy. He did not the know old tricks of catching a girl. For instance, he was sure Lado was not wise enough to promise her a trip to Mecca, or a visit to the Emir of Gombe.

He did not see lado give her anything. But he had a new note of two hundred naira and a loaf of bread and coke in a polythene bag for her.
These were some of the tricks he used to marry his wives and no woman could afford to miss such things. He smiled, exposing his cola-nut stained teeth.
Unknown to Ameena and the men there, the king was in a meeting prohibiting anyone to ask for her hand in marriage. She had been chosen to become a queen.

And Amaar was on his way. The prohibition would soon be announced.

Mufty waited patiently, knowing the sheikh was about to come out, probably after a few handshakes with followers. He caressed the gun slowly. His position was perfect and he knew there was no way he could miss his target. People had begun to leave the mosque, mostly making comments on the day’s lecture.
The video CD was already on sale. It was easy for them. They filmed while the lecture went on, there was no editing, all they did was duplicate and sell.

A man dressed in suit was first to come out through the Imam’s door. Mufty frowned. He needed not to be told he was a DSS officer and the bulge on his side told him it was a gun. Well, that should not come as a surprise because the Sheikh knew his life was in danger. He had been openly speaking against them and that was a dangerous thing to do. Next to come out was a tall, lanky middle aged man dressed in white caftan whom Mufty recognised to be Alaramma Sadiq, the sheikh’s reciter. Then the Sheikh came out, flanked by guards and followed by his students.

Mufty did not waste time. He raised his gun, looked through the target glass, made sure he was set, looked at the sheikh’s happy looking face then pulled the trigger twice. The Sheikh went down at once, two brave guards covered him, the DSS had removed his pistol, registered the point he suspected the shot came from then shot back. Sadiq was on the floor, panting , crawling to safety, while the sheikh was dragged inside the mosque.

Pandemonium broke out and the place became obstreperous. People began to run randomly, leaving their shoes behind, jumping over fence and scampering.
Mufty was sure he got his target, he jumped down and moved into the darkness. He was hoping to join the confused crowd and escape but a shot that barely missed him made him jumped on the ground and automatically fired back.
There were police men around. He shot again, got up and broke into a run. Ricocheting bullets went after him. He was used to this type of chase. He turned, shot back, then sprang up, vaulted over a fence, ran and crawled under a van, came out of the other side and moved into a murky part where he could see people still running and shouting. His phone vibrated. He picked it and heard Gali say, “where are you?”

Amar could see Gali among the crowd. It was the man in white jallabiya who was the humint in the mosque.

“I can see you,” Mufty said, sneaking into the crowd, “I am behind that water tank …”

“ I get it. Stand up, we have to leave. I got you covered….” But he could not complete the sentence as Mufty came behind him. It happened with an incredible speed. Mufty held his neck, ran a knife across and allowed the lifeless body drop, bleeding like a slaughtered ram.

“ Subahanllah!”A man shouted. “He killed him! He killed him. He is one of them.”

Mufty quickly wore his mask, sent bullets into the air and the people who had thought of apprehending him changed their minds. Instead, they ran for their lives. The police had called for backup but it was too late. Mufty had ran to their Hilux, got in and the man behind the wheel swung the car away.

Twenty minutes later, making sure they were not tailed, they were on the dusty road to their camp. The man behind the wheel, Shehu, glanced at Mufty.

“ How far ?”He asked.

“ I got him.” Mufty replied without looking at him. He put the gun on his lap while he squeezed the mask with his hand. He was tensed up, his mind tumultuous and Shehu noticed this. Mufty was usually calm and satisfied after a kill but there was something different about this operation. Knowing how dangerous Mufty was, Shehu decided not to ask any further question.

The powerful headlights sent strong beam which fell on the dust road, bordered by tall trees, shrubs and grasses.

“I called Gali,” Shehu began, “his phone was switched off.”

“ I have the phone with me. It must not be found on him even though it is a mission phone with no implicating data.”

Shehu felt a bang in his heart. Gali had fallen; killed by Mufty. It was not long ago that he took Jamil Kamil, Umar Daud, and Mallam Lawal.

Clean up, it was called but Gali was in no position to be wiped out. He was not the sniper. There was something unusual about it.

“May his soul rest in peace.” Shehu prayed.

“Ameen.”

Mufty’s phone rang.

“ Assalamu alaikum.” He said.

“Where are you” A thick, hard voice said from the other end. It was Jahl.

“ On our way back.” Mufty replied.

“ You missed the target.” Jahl said coldly.

“What?”

“You did not kill him.”

“I shot him. I got him.”

“I said you did not kill him and shut up! You failed. The only kill you made was Gali. Why?”

“You know why?”

“ What do you mean?”

“ There were police and I was chased. Gali was going to clean up: wipe me out. I knew I was not going to be caught so why let him kill me?

And you know better than I do that it was not a point for explanations. I had no choice.”

“I am not bothered about him. He is on his way to paradise. I am worried about you not killing Sheikh. You failed the mission……for the first time and that is your grace. You have never failed.”

The line went dead.

I did not fail, Mufty thought, I hit the target……the Sheikh’s cap.
He knew he could have taken him out with a single shot, left him with a shattered heart that no surgeon could fix. He had been trained to kill but could not bring himself to kill him. Not after listening to his lecture. The sheikh answered his long unanswered questions, opened his eyes and brought him to his senses. This was not jihad. It was terrorism. They were nothing but murderers. They had been blinded, deceived and brainwashed.

He nearly laughed when Jahl said Gali was on his way to Paradise. Jahl was the known head of the sect. But how was he able to fund them? Feeding over two thousand people daily, even though they have a unit of cattle rustlers who bring in plenty cows to be slaughtered. They said it was important for the jihadist to have plenty meat to work for God.
They had an arsenal full with sophisticated weapons, fleet of expensive Toyota Hilux trucks, contacts and enough money to make them rich. Jahl was just a puppet been used by the unseen masters. But none of them knew anything. God! They were part of a setting they knew little about.

None of them knew the source of funds, the men at the top, the real purpose of the agitation. They had not bothered because they were given a lot of money, food, women and most important, made to believe they were working for God. No! Sheikh was right, it was a fustian pact. He had felt something was not right but he could not figure it out. He started getting a cold feet from the day Jamil bombed the complex. He had watched Jamil deceive the girl, promising her sweets, chocolates if they got there. When they had arrived, Jamil had gone to pick his spot and when it was time, the little girl was told to go and collect her chocolates, fixing the bomb on her and telling her it was a machine that produced biscuits. She was only seven. They had told her to go into the complex and meet Jamil. Mufty was there, had a binocular, watching the little girl then at the final stage, a few seconds to her death, he saw that excited expression on her face, a smile that splashed on her pretty face, she had seen a beautiful white teddy displayed for sale.

She had that excited expression as the bomb blast. It was a scene he had not been able to forget. Only God knew where Mallam SB had gotten her from. Why was he going back now? Why did he not escape from the mosque? He knew he would be killed if suspected to have intentionally spared Sheikh Jabir.

He knew why. Leena! He could not leave her there. He was responsible for her abduction and if saving her was the last thing he was going to do, so be it. It was going to be difficult and very dicey but he did not care. But why? He remembered reading it in an hadith that forceful marriage was prohibited in Islam. Why did they abduct girls and marry them forcefully, without the consent of their parents? Sometimes they abducted married women and dissolved their marriages to marry her off to someone else. He knew why. It was not Islam they were practising. He had to do whatever it took to free her.
He knew how tight the security system was. As they drove towards the camp now, he knew there were stations with people watching them, taking turns. There were also devices connected to a satellite system and watched on screens by guards. Yes! He would have to smuggle her out. That would be when he was going to deliver provisions to the members of the training camp, he would simply put her in a sack and leave.
When they finally arrived the camp two hours later, it was almost 12:00AM and most of the insurgents and their so called wives were asleep, except for those on guard. Mufty went straight to his cabin.

He was surprisingly eager to see Leena. He wanted to talk to someone who would be on the same page with him, someone to share with as he felt a heavy weight on his mind. This was unusual for him. He never liked to share with anyone, kept to himself and never really had a close friend. He knocked at the door slightly, heard no response, knocked again a little louder, and still heard no response. He turned the door handle. The door was not locked.
That was unusual. She never let the door open when he was out. He went in, the lights were out. He ran his hand on the wall until he found the switch and put on the light. He walked briskly into the bedroom which they shared and switched on the light. He felt a bang in his heart. She was not there. Hopelessly, he went to the toilet to check, he was not surprised not to find her .Then he noticed that the small bag given to her to put the few clothes was gone. What was going on? Where was she? Escape was out of the question.

“You seemed to be more worried about her….,” Jahl’s thick voice emerged from behind, “than your failure tonight. Failure to Serve God.”

Mufty turned swiftly.

“ Where is she? ”

“I can see you are deeply in love. You are beginning to forget that our raison detre is to worship God. You have never missed a target until you fell in love.” Jahl said, still standing by the door. “ I sent her away .She has been taking away where you will never see her again .They came and I put her on the list.”

Mufty felt his heart beating faster, fighting the urge to pounce on the giant.

“ She is my wife, Ameer.”

“No.” Jahl said firmly. “ To have a wife, you must pay a bride price. Remember what I said in retrospect, the mission was to be your bride price and you failed. She is going with someone else forever. I did not bother to tell them she is HIV positive. Who knows if you did not even infect her. Who knows if it is a lie that you are positive? I should have made them test her. But,” he shrugged, “she has gone. Not even I can bring her back. You should have sought my blessing from the start. I am the father of all. No money, no wife.”
He turned and started moving out. After a few steps, he turned and said, “ the Sheikh is dead alright.”

Mufty frowned.

“You said I missed.”

“Yes, you missed, but someone else finished the job but the house thinks it is you. You still have the credit and I will keep it that way. God has finally taken His enemy, the hypocritical Sheikh, away. Glory be to God. Have a good rest. Peace be upon you.” He went out, banging the wooden door after him with a great force. Mufty stood still for a few seconds which looked like a life time. He was very sure what he hated most in the world was this sect and they just made an enemy. He lowered himself and sat on the floor, leaning his back on the wall. He could see Leener’s image sitting on the bed, asking him to eat. I will find her….at all cost, he decided.

It was a few minutes past 7:00PM and a large number of Muslim audience were getting ready for another night of lecture by the famous Shaikh Jabir at the Bin Uthman Memorial Mosque. Over three hundred people sat in the mosque while over one thousand were outside hoping to hear the lecture through the loud speaker. There were about a hundred men, both young and old dressed smartly in light brown uniforms. Some were busy at the gate with metal detectors searching those coming in. The recent bomb blasts and terrorist attacks lead to this proactive measures. Among the audience was a man dressed in white jallabiya and skull cap.

He walked towards the fence, making sure no one could hear him, he put a call through.

“The shaikh has arrived,” he said in a little above whisper, “ the lecture will last two hours, that means the Isha prayers will be postponed to 9:00PM. I hope you will be in position.”

“I am close by,” Mufty said from the other end, “ I see everything. Just keep me posted. May his soul rest in peace.”

The man smiled. He knew Mufty never missed a target so it was going to be the end of the pesky Shaikh. Mufty was sitting comfortably on a branch of tree with thick leaves which gave him the cover he needed. He had a bubble gum in mouth and he chewed slowly as he dabbed the butt of his target riffle. He would wait patiently, hoping the angels were watching him, building his mansion in paradise as he carried out God’s work.

Shaikh Jabir was fifty five years old. He was light complexioned with long beard. Highly knowledgeable, articulate, charismatic and influential, he was well respected and famous. He walked into the mosque flanked by two First Aid Group (gay) members. Sitting on a comfortable chair with a table in front, he waved his Qur’an reciter, Alaramma Saheed to sit on the chair beside him while the gay men stood firmly behind them. There had been a wave of excitement as he came in. Some of the audience shouted,”Allahu akhbar!”

He started by praising God, invoked blessings on the Holy Prophet SAW, the companions and the Muslim caboodle.
After a brief prayer, he looked at the crowd, went silent for a few seconds then said, “ I was asked to talk about the importance of hajj but I beg to digress because we are faced with an issue with great pernicious influence on us. We are aware of the incipient agitation by a group of people calling for the abolition of Western Education in this country. They claim it is Haram and anything west is forbidden. So I want to talk about education. We do not have enough time to talk much about this important topic but I will try to be brief. The first thing Angel Gabriel asked the holy Prophet SAW to do was to read. The Holy one did not only come to teach how to worship but a complete way of life. Study the Qur’an, you find geography, economics, sociology, mathematics, history, law, etcetera.

He taught medicine, hygiene, government and a lot more. So where is this idea from that Islam frowns at education? They call it western education. He paused, wiped his face with a hanky then continued, “how dare you say education is forbidden when some of the greatest contributions to education was done by Muslims. Like I said in retrospect, we do not have much time for this but I will like to tell you or remind you of some of these contributions which I know most of you are aware of. Imagine a world without mathematics. Imagine mathematics without algebra.

Thanks to Muhammad ibn Musa al-khawarizm. The word algorithm was coined from his name. He was born in 720 and died 840. He was a great mathematics researcher whose work in algebra, algorithm, calculus, astronomy and geography cannot be forgotten .
He compiled the oldest trigonometric table. He also introduced Indian numerals which became Arabic numerals and today, the most popular number system which is the Hindu-Arabic number system is been used worldwide. Before him was Jabir ibn Hayyan, Abu Musa was known as the father of chemistry. Did you know that shampoo was introduced to Europe by a Muslim who opened a bath house in Brighton Seafront in 1759. He was also appointed shampooing surgeon to King George IV and William.” He paused, sipped water and then said, “ the ancient Greek thought eyes emitted rays like laser which enable us to see.

The first person to realise that light enters the eyes rather than leaving it was a tenth century Muslim mathematician, astronomer and physicist called Ibn Al-haithm. He worked on the pin hole camera after noticing the way light came in through the window shutter. The smaller the hole, the better the picture. He worked out the first camera obscurer from the Arabic word qamara which means a dark or private room.

The first person to describe how the eye works in detail was Abu al-hassan from Basra. He worked out experiments with reflective materials and proved that the eye does not sense the environment with light rays as was previously believed. He also discovered that the curved glass surface can be used for magnification. His glass ‘reading stones’ were the first magnifying glasses ever to be made. The reading glasses were developed from this. The greatest physician until the modern era was Ibn Sina also known as Avicenna. His book, Al-qannun fi al-tibb was a standard book used in Europe for seven hundred years. After the creation of hospitals around the year 1000, a Muslim doctor known as Al-Zahrawi published a 1500 page illustrated encyclopaedia of surgery which was used in Europe as a medical reference for five hundred years.

The first detailed world map was by Muslim. The first degree-granting university was founded in Fez, Morocco in the year 859. I wonder why some people use Islam as an excuse to cause chaos. Although generations of rulers have tried to expunge the era when Muslims ruled and changed Europe from historical records, recent archaeology and scholarship have shed fresh light on the moors who flourished in Al-Andalus for more than seven hundred years. Find out and see the ingenious mathematics behind Granada’s dazzling Alhambra Palace. Their astronomy, art, agriculture helped propel the west out of dark ages and into renaissance. If you want to know more about this, watch a documentary by Bettany Huphes titled ‘When The Moors Ruled in Europe’. I also urge you to watch another documentary by BBC, presented by Omar Rager titled ‘An Islamic History of Europe’. Now tell me who on Earth as any substantial reason to claim western education is bad. Islam is a religion of peace and knowledge. Do not let anyone deceive you. Send your children to school, both boys and girls. The Prophet, peace be upon him said we should learn from the cradle to the grave….I, Jabir support girl-child education……..”

“Allahu akhbar!” a follower shouted. “ You have spoken the truth, Mallam.”

“I support education,” he continued, “ but denounce any life style that comes with it that contradicts our religious beliefs . I find it highly idiosyncratic and befuddling why these agitation is on ground. Where did these people get this idea? Are they truly bastions of Islamic ethics?
No! They are epitome of hypocrites, retrogressive and ignorant souls or……people made to cause upheaval. You claim it is haram to deal with western education, yet you use their cars, wristwatches, guns, fly their planes, and so on,” he giggled, shook his head, “ I must say this today. I believe the recent bomb blasts we have been experiencing are connected to these agitations. I have my reasons but due to lack of evidence, I will not go deep now but insha Allah, the time will come when this people will be exposed. They claim it is jihad. Lah (No)! This is not jihad. This is pure terrorism. People don’t know what jihad means. When you do anything that uplifts the word of God, it is jihad and you must start with your heart. Fight your heart. The heart is prone to evil. Overcome your evil desires and follow the laws of God.

The prophet gave commandments in wars brothers and sisters, this is how you know who is a real jihadist. Even during a war, it is prohibited in Islam to cut down a tree, kill a child, kill old people, destroy a temple, or church, kill those who surrender, or run away, kill a woman, sick person, a priest, pastor, or monk. It is also prohibited to disfigure the dead. You are only allowed to kill an animal only for the purpose of eating and it is obligatory to treat prisoners well and feed them. But what do we witness today? You go to a trade centre and detonate a bomb, killing innocent people, children, women, old people, civilians, and keep shouting ‘Allahu akhbar’. You will rot in hell. You detonate bombs and destroy lives and properties in the name of Islam….your own Islam but not ours, the conventional and true Islam. If you are right, bring out your proves that the Prophet, peace be upon him behaved the way you do. I challenge any one to check history, all the gazwahs and tell us where the Muslims killed children, women, civilians, and so on.

You are not Muslims but terrorists! There is no compulsion in religion. Unto your religion and unto mine but do not stop me from practicing mine. You are been brainwashed to commit suicide after committing mass murder by suicide bombing, and you are told that seventy two virgins await you in heaven.
No virgins in hell,” there was a short burst of laughter from the audience, “Suicide is a straight ticket for eternal stay in hell fire. You will pay for killing yourself and others. Terrorists have no religion, I once heard a white man say. Some faceless oligarchs, deep into a fustian pact are behind this rhetorical, rabble rousing clandestine movement. But I blame us who allow ourselves to be instigated and used in these sanguinary acts. Today, Islam is seen as a religion of war. There are gullible ones, with negative pre-conditioned mind-set gotten through subliminal messages, rhetoric, propaganda and vitriol, who believe. Don’t get me wrong, there are Muslims who perpetuate these acts, but they don’t represent Islam. When it is a Muslim, it is terrorism, if it is a non-Muslim, it is just a crime. We must put all hands on deck and make the world a better place. We must live in peace and work together, no matter our differences. We will not be honest with ourselves if we say we are one.

We are different in many ways but all we need to do is understand our differences and live as one. Like I said in retrospect, we must start by fighting our hearts, pray and abide by divine laws then God will help us. I think I can use the remaining time to talk about Hajj……….”
He preached for another hour and the prayers was called. Mufty knew the time had come for the Sheikh to get lead balls into his body. In the darkness, without the use of light, he began to assemble his gun.

2009

He was called Jahl. Standing an inch above seven feet tall with broad shoulders, stiff body rippling with muscles, broad chest and narrow waist. He stood as firm as a pole. His eyes were protuberant, vicious and red. His face was covered with grizzled beard and a long thick scar made a line across his forehead. He wore a red turban and covered his caftan with a military camouflage jacket. His black boots was dusty and a sophisticated AK47 hung over his shoulder. He had been away for three weeks and had just returned. He had inspected the sixteen girls captured and one of them had tickled his fantacy. Her beauty had hit his heart so hard it skipped some beats. Her eyes were captivating and her figure was mesmerizing. He had thought she was a mulatto due to her long, silky curly hair and complexion. He had decided to have her for himself only to be told that Mufty had taken her for himself and the knot had been consummated having been living with him for three weeks.
He had felt a heart bang that scared him. It was disheartening. He had captured and distributed over six hundred girls in the past but none of the girls ever made him felt this way. If it had been somebody else, he could have dissolved the knot and taken her but Mufty…No! Who gave him the right to choose a girl without his consent? He was the lion, king of the jungle and no other animal had the right to choose a prey before him.

Mufty was a gallant soldier, a competent sniper and active believer of the callisthenics but that did not give him the right to cross boundaries. So Mufty was punished. He had punched him in the belly, kicked him and hit his mouth. Now as he stood like a pole over Mufty who was lying on the ground with a bleeding mouth, he looked at him and said, “you have never agreed to have a woman here due to your curse, why her? Why, you numbskull?” Mufty said nothing but wiped blood off his mouth.

“ You will go on a major operation without benefit. That will be the bride price..” Jahl said.

They were under a baobab tree in the camp known as Al-bait. It was built four years ago secretly by the men at the top and it was handed over to Jahl who ran the place. It was located in the heart of the vast Kabari Forest. It was one of the largest forest in the nation covering over six hundred square kilometres. It was thick with grasses, shrubs and trees. It was a haven for wild animals and most suitable location for Al-bait. It had over six hundred cabins , housing over two thousand people including women and children. It was fenced with barb wire, protecting it against wild animals. It was a little world on its own with a clinic, mini market where groceries were sold but the men at the top provided food for all of them.

Jahl lit a cigarette, inhaled smoke, grimaced and then puffed out a thick cloud of smoke. “ You are going to head tonight’s operation,” he said “ Sheikh Jabir is getting out of hand. His sermons are always against us. He is deceiving the public with his rhetoric. He has a great followership. There is an order to settle him. That is God’s wish and His wish is ours. Now get out of here and go prepare yourself.” He turned at a man holding a machine gun.

“What is the update on Jamil?” Jahl asked.

“ ATOF has the pad. They have discovered his identity. They are working on him.”

“ Balderdash, they are in for a wild goose chase. It’s a dead end .” Jahl said and moved his lips in what he felt was a smile. “ God is with us. We are the bastions of godliness. The world has become too grubby, too many wicked people around. Oppression is prevalent, corruption is everywhere, religion is deadening, girls are deprived of their rightful places. Parents allow girls, I mean girls that are supposed to be in their matrimonial homes go to school. Imagine a girl that is over fourteen still going to school. That is infidelity! That is one of the pernicious influences of western-education. We can’t let this madness go on. We must stop it and no one can stop us. God is with us.”

Mufty got up, nodded and said, “God is with us”

Jahl looked at him for a second then said, “you love her, don’t you?”

Mufty nodded. “I do love her.”

“Very good. You may go. “Jahl said, inhaled smoke then walked away with three gunmen following him. Mufty did not look back but hurried into his cabin which comprised of two rooms, a toilet and kitchenette. Not every member was given the privilege to own two rooms alone. Mufty had been with them for three years and proved to be an effective soldier.

He was smart, ruthless, ambidextrous and fearless. He pushed the wooden door violently and banged it and then used a hanky to wipe blood off his mouth.

Immediately he came in, Leena looked away. She heard and saw what happened. She had been with him for three weeks and had become scared of him. He was taciturn, fastidious and rarely talked. The room which served as living room was furnished with a three sitter sofa, carpet, a book shelf with few books in it.
The bedroom had a mattress laid on a carpet, a table with toothbrush, toothpaste and body creams on it and a locally made clothe hanger with a few clothes hanging. She was jittery after seeing what had happened to him. She was peeking and saw all that happened. He was now infuriated and may pounce on her. He sat on the sofa while she was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. She smugly glanced at him.

He had his head bowed. He sat still, not uttering a word or moving for about ten minutes. She felt uncomfortable then summed up the courage to say, “I am sorry.”
He said nothing and acted as if he did not hear her. She was silent for a few seconds.

“But why are you doing this?” She said slowly and hesitantly. He raised his head abruptly and a sudden fear drifted into her.

“Doing what?”

“ You are been punished for having me. You agreed that you have been sleeping with me but you have never lay on the same bed with me. You never molested me sexually. You barely talk to me. Yet you are getting punished for what you did not do.”

He stared at her for a few seconds as if hesitating before he looked away.

“I told them I was HIV positive.” He said. “ We have captured many girls and I always refused to have any so when I was pressed, I said I was sick. And the girls would be given to some one else.”

“But why did you say so?”

“ I believe in the course but I was not comfortable with some things. We believe it is wrong for grown up girls to wander about without marriage in the name of western education. It is a menace to us. The Islamic ethics has been polluted by the system. We want everything to go back to normal. We want the so called girl education obliterated, even the boys should leave western education and we should concentrate on Islamic education. So when we abduct girls, we marry them off to our soldiers. Some are exported to good men. Now we want a change of Government. But when I am given a girl to marry, something in me makes me feel uncomfortable.” He wiped off blood from his mouth.

“ You are the first I took in. It was to save you. That was the reason I roughened you up the day I brought you, it was to give the impression that I was forcing myself on you. I realised that claiming to be HIV positive never saved the girls. They were always given to somebody else. I gave the impression that it was consummated so they will be scared of you. It is against our law to use contraceptives so no one will ever get to you. You heard him call it a curse. I have a load of retroviral drugs I don’t use.”

This came to her as a surprise. She never guessed he had a scintilla of pity in him.

“ But the bomb, how is it connected to this?” She said.

“ You have no right to interrogate me. I have never talked to anyone like this.” He said firmly. He was silent for a few seconds then said, “we are just sending messages to the government and caboodle that we are for real. We started peacefully by preaching but our Shaikh was arrested several times and later shot to death. They thought they could stop us, so we changed our modus operandi and waged war on them. We are Islamic jihadist’. We are fighting for God. We want to obliterate infidelity and this country must be Islamised. Anything western must go.”

“ But you sound educated.”

“That was before I saw the light. I have a degree in Electrical-electronics Engineering.” He stood up, took a few steps to the end of the room, then sighed. He turned, looked at her then shook his head. “ What is your name?”

“ Leena. Leena Idris.”

“ I am Mufty Salman.” There was a sudden knock at the door. He went and opened the door. It was a short stocky man. “ The Amir says you should get set. You have a bride price to pay.”

Mufty nodded and shut the door. His face changed into a granite hard façade. He moved into the room with agility and changed into a black outfit. He moved to the door, opened it then turned at her. What a protean character. “I am going out. In case I don’t come back, hold tight to the drugs until you meet someone you love and confess to him.” He said and without giving her the chance for a word, he shut the door and disappeared.

Leena covered her face, thinking of her family and wondering if she would ever see them again. Adam! Oh, her Adam! She was missing him. What a tragedy. Just a few weeks to their wedding and this happens.
She saw a lot of young girls there. Some of them were abducted from schools. There was a girl called Rabi. She got married and went to write WAEC the next day only to be abducted. Now she is with a child for another man. What kind of people were this? What kind of Islam were they practicing?

It was at that point she heard a loud knock at the door.

“ Who is that?” She asked.

There was no reply. Someone pushed the door open and she saw a giant come in. It was Jahl. He looked so bogey.

FOURTEEN

It was a few minutes after 8:00pm. The evening looked serene as Fahad sat on a pew, a few yards from his car and held a bottle of Kunun aya (tiger-nut juice). He had no appetite but he was famished so when he saw the kunu in the refrigerator, he knew he had to go for it.
He had over two hundred missed calls in his call log. It was not easy refusing to pick his parent's and he knew that was wrong but he just could not bring himself to pick any call. He did not know what to tell them. That afternoon, he was in the mosque. After prayers, after many congratulatory salutations in advance, selfies and photographs, he smugly absconded before the marital rite. It was funny though. He had heard of brides running away for unwanted marriages but today, it was a bridegroom absconding.
Then his phone chimed again, he ignored it, it kept ringing before he looked at the caller ID. What? Who? Why?
He picked at once with shaky hands.

" Halima."

" Congratulations Mr Bridegroom"

It was not funny though.

" Who told you ?"

" How could a wedding attended by the president and the top men in the world be a secret?"

" I did not know about that. I have not been listening to news or social media for a while. "

" I'm sorry to hear this."

" Halima, why did you abandon me? Why did you not consider what we had?"

" I am a very traditional girl and believe in parents' opinions. Your parents did not want me. She said some things that made me felt like leaving the world. But please let us not go back. It's over and buried. Congratulations!"

" Did you call to hurt me?"

" Why? I am only felicitating with you and I owe you one more call."

" I love you, Halima."

" Subahanallaah! Please don't say that."

"Why?"

" I am now a married woman."

" Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un!" He exclaimed.

"Why? You should be happy for me."

He felt tears in his eyes. He was sobbing. He could not be man enough.

" Hello, hello, Fahad are you there?"

" Y-y-yes. I have to go."

" Go? Where are you, with your wife? "

" No. I'm going back to the States. I am not going to be with her. I lost you, I lost love, I lost everything When I'm gone, I will be gone forever. That is what happens when one is forced into marriage or taking away from your love. Whatever happens always find a place in your heart to forgive me, my family and please pray for me. I don't think I have a future left, pray for me, pray I survive this, please, please. If you are happy, fine, I just want you to be happy. I can never pretend not to be jealous but what if you love him and you are happy? "

" Yes, Fahad, I love him and I'm happy. I want you to be happy too."

"You love yours but I don't love mine. You have the right to be happy, you have every reason to be happy. I don't have a scintilla of reason to be happy. Just pray for me, please. I need to go. I can't keep on with this call."

She chuckled.

" Come home, maigida. I have just been brought for you. I am now yours. I am your wife and you are my husband. Please come home. I can't wait to see you and that first kiss you always told me about. Wara shit niga."

It took him almost a minute to assimilate. No words to describe his feelings.

" We have been strangulation in marriage?" He said and she chuckled, " I am senatorial district into home waraa shit niga."

He ended the call, threw the bottle of the kunu away then broke into a run .

Oops! I left my car.

He turned and went for the car. He thought running would be faster.

He had the world. He was at the top of it. No words for description. He pressed his foot on the gas pedal.

“ Haya….Adnan!”she called remembering that she was still married to Hayat, she felt it was wrong to call him Hayati. “Adnan! What happened? Where have you been? I felt it. I felt your heart beat.”

“ After they shot me….”

She heard Hayat’s steps and she quickly ended the call. She did not know what he was up to and how he would react if he knew she was talking to Adnan. But she was nervous, filled with mixed feelings.
Adnan called back and Hayat came into her room. She could not pick the call. Hayat must not know it was Adnan She did not know what to tell Adnan. What a dilemma.
Hayat stood firmly, and she noticed an expression on his face which looked stern, the jovial ,placidly contented façade was gone.

“ Your phone is ringing.” He said.

“ I know .”She said, “just a pesky friend. Let it ring.”

“But rudeness is not part of your etiquettes .You never reject calls.”

“You are wrong. Some calls must be ignored, some rejected and some picked to warn. I told her not to call again but she refused.”

He shrugged.

“You are welcome.”

“Thank you. What is wrong with you?”

“I am fine.”

“But you look nervous….oh…you are scared of what I said to you before I left, huh? Do not worry, you will enjoy it. It’s just fear.”

“Please Hayati….Hayat..”

“ You never made such a goof before even though both named are very similar.” He said suspiciously. “ I used to wonder but today you did it.”

“ I am sorry.”

“Sorry for what? You are not sorry. You are looking for an escape route so stop being nice .You shout at me when I barge on you; you vituperate when I try to touch you. It is six months, living with a woman I married and not even a kiss, not a hold of hand and my friends feel I rock the night, my mother watching you to see if I am bringing fort a grandchild for her.
Do you pity me? Do you feel anything for me? After a wedding like that!”

“ But I told you before we got married and you agreed. I never expected you to agree. I said it to send you off but you agreed and I believed you…”

“Did I not hold on to the bargain? Tell me.”

“But you are breaching the pact right now.”

“I am not.”

“You are a nice person, I know that and the past six months have shown that you are a gentleman….”

“Excuse me; can I use your restroom?”

She gave him a suspicious glance and then nodded.

“Thank you.” He walked majestically into the restroom and then came out with a pale of water, sponge and soap. Naairah wondered what he was doing.

“ Okay, I am ready.” He said.

Something was wrong with this guy, she feared.

“Ready for what?”

“Wash. You can’t verbally wash me. Use soap, Sponge and water. I am a gentleman, huh? Now, listen, if you think I am going to struggle with you to make love to you, no. We have a few days to six months anniversary. When the time comes, I am going to talk to your father and tell him that you have never allowed me come close to you since we got married.
But there is one thing I will do…I will deny that we ever had any agreement. That agreement was a mistake. I am your husband and have the right to you at anytime. And you know what will happen when I tell him.
You are traumatized and delusional. That Adnan of yours is dead. I never told you this, I met your cousin since when I was in college. He is my friend. I never knew he was your cousin until his father started handling our marriage issue.
After our wedding, I tried to find out about Adnan from him but he seemed not to know much. I did my private investigation and realized that he is not anywhere close or available. He was shot, like you said and must have been devoured by crocodiles.
I am doing this because I know you are only preserving something for a corpse. He must have become bones now. You will come to realize this later and you will thank me to waking you up from your dreams.
I will go to my room. We have six days to six months. Better think about it so we can make it without a third party. I promise, after the first one…phew, I will start hiding from you….”

“Okay.” She said feeling disgusted. “ I will think about it but before then, please remember our agreement.”

“I told you , I am a perfect gentleman. Good night.”

“What about dinner?”

He shook his head.

“That is the only thing you do which wives do; cook and give me food. I want food, that food, I am so hungry so keep this food, I am waiting for that food.”

He walked out and shut the door behind him. She rushed and locked the door, came back ,returned the pale and soap back to the toilet then came and sat on her bed. She was shaking. She thought of running away to meet Adnan but had a second thought.
She loved Adnan with every breath she took but Allah was the first and greatest love then His Prophet SAW and that meant His law over everything. She was married and could not go out to meet another man or go out without Hayat’s consent.
Then what would she do?

She called Adnan’s number. She could not believe it for real. Adnan? After all these years!

“ I thought you were with Abba (Dad) when you refused to pick.” His sweet voice said and it went straight into her heart, yet she was trying to resist it, resist him, for she was still married and had to respect that.

“ I am sorry.” She said in a low tune. “ I don’t know where to start from. What happened? Who were they and why? Why did you and Addy have the same mark? How are they involved and where the hell have you been that you could not reach out to me?”

“You know I will always reach out to you at the slightest opportunity. It is a story that cannot be told over the phone but I was bedridden for almost a year. My survival was a miracle. I came back just for you. I met a family who looked after me.
They are willing to stand for me. I have a job. I run a computer business centre near a university campus. I have saved enough to get married now. I am sorry I could not make it on March 10 as I predicted. It is not in my hands….”

Now she was crying. How would she tell him that she was married? Just how?

“ Adnan.” She called him and he paused. She could feel the tensed silence. She was used to calling him Hayati and she had only called him that once which was a mistake.

“ Miss Sunshine.”

“When you left….mum organized a search party for you and they searched for over two months. You were never found. That night, three people attacked me. The man was called Bash, then the lady was called Bas, and another guy who I cannot recollect his name. They wanted the PDA but I destroyed it along with one of my father’s car. My life took a turn. I do not have to go into details of what I went through. I never looked at any man. I kept waiting for you…..” she kept explaining until she got to the point where she paused, then said, “ I got married. I am married.”

“What?”

Hayat walked into the room and Naairah was startled. She ran and grabbed a cloth and covered her body, her face was stern and she shivered.

“How dare you barge on me? Can’t you see that I am not covered?”

He marvelled. She was wearing a jeans and t-shirt.

“You are not naked, Naairah and I am your husband for crying out loud. We have been married for six months and I have never held your hand.”

“It was a consensus.”

“ And I held on to my part.”

“But you are not doing that now.”

“There is one part you never put into consideration….we did not talk about time limit. I agreed but in my heart, it was only for six months.”

“You can’t do that. I made it clear and the second condition has no time limit.”

“I agree but the first has and I am running out of patience. Get prepared for me tonight.” He said and went out angrily.

He went out of the mansion, got into his car and drove out. He dialled a number as he drove.

“I am getting tired of her.” He said. “she would not even let me get closer to her. Who the hell is this Adnan? What kind of love is this?”

“ I told you what to do,” a male voice said from the other end. “ Just do it.”

“Okay, don’t you think you should talk to her?”

“I will figure out something.”

“Okay, Addy. This cousin of yours is giving me a hell of a time and I love her.”

Addy chuckled.

“ I guess that is what you get for being so Islamically chronologically oriented.”

“Break it down.”

“I was on with Lori before we got married. How do you buy a good unseen? What if it turns out to be bad?”

“I don’t get you.”

“ You should have had her before the wedding.”

Hayat felt his palms grabbing the steering wheel tighter. Was this guy a Muslim? Okay, one may sin and knows it is wrong but accusing him of being foolish for following Islamic orders was off limit.

“ I don’t think she would have agreed.”

“Skills boy. But that is over now. Come see me. She will be yours tonight and you are going to thank me later on.”

“ Okay, dude.”

“Six fuckin* months? Crap! What kind of patience do you have? Wait, are you…..are you okay?”

“Come on Addy….I am a full man.”

“ Then come see me.”

“On my way.” Hayat said and pressed his foot on the accelerator.




Naairah was jittery. Hayat had never acted this way. Their six months stay had been dramatic. They went to work together, came back together and acted like a perfect couple but it all ended as a show.
Hayat tried to be friends with her but she would not give him the chance. She was scared of doing that.
She had told him that day in the garden, “ One: when we get married, you will never come close or touch me.”

“Why?”

“ If I refuse, the angels will curse me but if you agree to marry me and stay clear off my body, that will be an agreement until I am sure Adnan is dead.”

“What?”

“I am not forcing you. If you don’t agree, let me marry someone else.”

Hayat had thought for a while. He just wanted her and could not let her go. It was stupid but he said, “ Okay. I accept.”

“Are you sure?” She had not expected his reaction.

“ I am a gentleman.”

“Okay.”

“Hmmm? Rule number two?”

“If Adnan appears, you would divorce me at once.”

“What?

“Why else do you think I will not allow you touch me?”

“ Okay……but this won’t last forever right?”

“I will tell you when I feel he is no more.”

“ I know this is the stupidest thing I have ever obliged to but the love I have for you can make me do that. I am sure it will come to pass.”

“ Do not spend much money on the wedding. Just make it modest because it is not worth it.”

But Hayat went ahead to make it grand because his father was stupendously rich. Her family members also spent a lot. She was her father’s only daughter and he had to make it memorable. She did not expect the kind of lavish wedding she was given.
Now he seemed to be fed up. Was there an external factor? Was there anyone instigating him? She was confused. Was he planning to rape her?
Oh no! What would she do?

She went to his room. They slept in different rooms. It was not locked. She did not know what she was looking for. She began to carefully ransack the room, making sure she replaced the things she moved. She searched for a while and found nothing extraordinary.
He was a lover of perfumes, wristwatches and designer clothes. She saw his results and realized that it was true when he said he was not academically good. He only managed to graduate.

She also saw family pictures, since childhood. She was now sure he had nothing to do with Adnan. The similarities were just coincidences.
She was about to go out when she saw a picture in between a magazine. She checked it and got a shocker of her life. It was him and Addy standing in New-York.

What?

He never told her he knew her cousin.

Wait!

Adnan told her that he lived with Uncle Abbas. Why did they have the same mark? Why was Adnan scared of letting them know he was alive.
She thought for a while.
She remembered when she accused Bash and said, “so you killed him! You killed him!!”
“No ,we did not. ”Bash had said. “We need the PDA. You know better those who killed him. It is not our business. We had no reason to kill him.”

You know better those who killed him!

Was Uncle Abbas involved?

Was it Addy that told Hayat about Adnan and he used the information to act like him? Was Hayat involved with them? Why did he not tell her that he knew her cousin? A mysterious cousin at that!
She searched the room again and saw a small diary. She knew what she was doing was wrong but something did not just feel right. She began to flip through the pages. It was a normal diary of a young man. Hayat was not related to Adnan, she was now sure of this. Then she saw something he wrote which was of recent.

I asked Tony to find a guy named Adnan Abbas. He came out with my friend’s profile. I meant another Adnan Abbas.
In another part, he wrote: My wife won’t let me touch her. Who is this Adnan? Why do I feel My friend Addy knows him?
Then he wrote: I decided to give my wife one more month, if she does not see her Adnan, I will cancel the deal.

She returned the diary and left the room, making sure everything was back in place.

She went back to her room more confused. Hayat did not know about Adnan but he was curious. Addy did not tell him. Then it was just coincidence but they were not that similar. They had a lot of physical differences. It was just a few words and ideas that coincided and that feelings she had when she met him.

But she saw his pictures while growing up. Adnan could not have had such pictures. He was nineteen when he was shot and never met his parents.
Then the bitter idea that Adnan may be dead began to dawn on her. She felt her eyes becoming watery. No, it was almost four years. Adnan would not be alive and not look for her. Her love for him may have erupted those feelings she felt about him being alive.
But she was not ready to succumb to Hayat’s demands. Being married to him alone was heart breaking already not to talk of letting take her to bed. But what was his plan? Was he planning to rape her? Could Hayat do such a thing?

She was going to put up a fight. Should she run away? What would she say? He was her husband and she had noticed that Ummi was studying her the last time they met. When a girl got married, the next thing was she became a specimen.
She dared not say she had a headache. The slightest change in her would be interpreted to mean something else. The other day, she told Nadia who just got married that she felt weak, and she was like, ‘Very good. Use PT first before seeing the doctor’.

Very soon, Ummi might ask, hope there was no problem? So who would she tell that she had not lay on her husband’s bed because she was hoping her ex who was thought to have died may come back. That was something nobody would understand with her.
She would not run away. She would wait and be alert. She wore tight jeans with belt, and then wore another jeans on top before covering both jeans with a denim skirt.
Why? She was meant to be happy, enjoying her new marriage life but it was the other way round. Her parents should have let her be.

Then she heard the sound of the gate being opened by the gatekeeper.
She felt her heart sinking. She ran to the window and saw Hayat driving in. She watched him park the car, then alighted without even locking the doors. Was he tensed up? Did he have an hidden agenda? Hidden? He said it straight that he was coming for her tonight.
Oh no!
He was coming in when she heard her phone ringing. She was startled by the sudden buzz of the phone, maybe because she was already scared.

She went for the phone, aware of her shivering body.

“ Hello.”

“Thank God you have not changed your number…Miss Sunshine. Where are you?”

Boom!

The rumbling sound that swept through her head could not be described. Then she felt as if her heart jumped up to her mouth, then a confused state of mind, trying to assure herself that she was not dreaming.

“ Hayati?”

“ My love. I came back for you. It was hell. Just tell me where you are.”Adnan's voice was clear and unchanged.

She heard Hayat climbing up the stairs………..

It was 10th of March.
It was Naairah’s wedding day.
A grand wedding she had not hoped for.
Abuja Central mosque was filled with the crème la crème; powerful and rich men. Alhaji Mukhtar was an important figure in the society who spent years with the core of government circle. His elder brother, Dr Abbas was more powerful than him and Hayat’s father happened to be an international business man, and had people trooping from middle-east like a swarm of bees.

A place filled with men of various political parties, views and known sworn political enemies. But as they met in person, they embraced, cracked jokes and one would wonder what was going on, yet the poor man on the street who calls himself a supporter would be killing himself while the men at the top, their children rocked.

Alhaji Mukhtar’s house was filled with women and children and the bride was undergoing kunshi (a traditional rite, designing the brides body).
Aunty Faiza, Naairah’s aunty came into the large room and fixed her phone on speakers which was put close to a microphone which was connected to an amplifier.
Naairah was sitting in midst of the women, and her beauty was ethereal. The women who did her make-over and designs were experts from Borno State. Who could have believed that her flamboyant wedding dress which was a combination of expensive satin, tulle, and chiffon was made in Abuja by Eesha Styles owned by an Ibadan-based renowned designer?
It was said the dress cost two million naira.
Her jewellery was Chopard, one of the most expensive jewellery brands in the world. She looked so radiant, smooth, chic and breathtaking.

“Toh….”Aunty Faaiza said. “ I am connected to Abdul’s phone. They have finished prayers and about to solemnize the marriage. I want us to listen to this historic moment live.”

"Ayiriririririiiiiiiiiiiii!” Gwago Saude started and two more women echoed.
Naairah was calm, trying to imagine it was Adnan, and the thought sent her into a reverie, a fantasy world and she felt a soothing feeling, as she imagined him holding her hand, his cosmic smile on his face, and he says, “remember I told you it would be today insha Allah, a day when you and I realize our dreams, become a tag team and see a new world.”

She smiled absentmindedly and Nadia took it for acceptance of Hayat. With the thought of Adnan, she felt at ease, and began to feel the glamour and splendour of the day. The brightness and sophistication of things began to manifest, and she let her soul flow, like nothing mattered anymore.

“ Sunana Alhaji Hassan Malunfashi, nine wakilin Hayat Anas,( I am Alhaji Hassan Malumfashi representing Hayat Anas), Ya turo ni na nema masa auren Naairah Mukhtar (he asked me to seek for Naairah Mukhtar’s hand in marriage).”

They heard another voice.

“Nine Dr Abbas Babangida waliyin Naairah Mukhtar (I am Dr Abbas Babangida, standing for Naairah Mukhtar), Ya nema kuma anbashi ( He seeked and it is given).”

“ Na amsa kuma zan kai masa ( I collect it on his behalf)” Alhaji Hassan said.

Then a third voice came up. It was the voice of the imam.

“ Jama’a a sheda daurin aure tsakanin Hayat Anas da Naairah Mukhtar ( I want the gathering to witness the wedding solemnization between Hayat Anas and Naairah Mukhtar), bisa sunnan Manzon Allah salallahu allihim wasalam ( based on the tradition of the holy Prophet , may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), a bisa sadaqi naira dubu hamsin kuma Hayat ya biya naqadan ba ajalan ba ( the bride price is fifty thousand naira and Hayat paid in cash and not on credit).
From now onwards, the responsibilities of feeding, housing, clothing, knowledge and healthcare has been shifted from her father to Hayat. We pray to Allah to bless the union, void of satanic influence and grant them blessed children.
They must fear Allah in their actions and inactions, know that this is a sacred institution which can lead someone to aljanna (paradise) or hellfire. May Allah protect us all and make us end with faith…. Naairah Mukhtar is now Hayat Anas’ wife.”


“Aaaaaaayiririririiiiiiiiiiie!!!”

Naairah felt something settling down her heart. This was it. A transition that is big. She was no more a bachelorette, but now a married woman. She bowed her head as Nadia came to embrace her. Other girls were there to congratulate her, the elders doing theirs.
She was leaving that house that day, her things had been set. Leaving with hope of not coming back. Then the big question, what next?

TWELVE


“ Let it go, dearie.” Nadia said excitedly. “ This is a welcome development. I know you will get over it. That guy is sweet, lovely and will definitely make you forget and move on. I am not expecting you to believe me now, but I am glad to hear this.”

Naairah did not argue. She was tired of doing that. She owned her heart and understood her feelings better than they did.

“ The guy took me by surprise.” Naairah said. “ I never expected it.”

“ I pray and feel it is for the best.” Nadia said. “ Now, we don’t know who is getting married first between you and I.”

“ I pray it should be you. Maybe Adnan will come back before then.”

“Tab! This friend of mine is hell bent on sticking to the guns. Have you thought of it that even Adnan was around, Abba would still not accept him? You deserve to be emotionally free my dear. Let it go, let it go and fly like a bird, swim like a fish and your enjoy your short life…..life is too short to spend in a moody state. How have you guys been relating at work?”

“ We keep a distance but act normal. Not the lovey dovey stuff you expect.” Naairah said. “ I don’t hate him. It’s just that Hayati had taken the space.”

“You will have to do something about that space he took because your halal, the real owner of the space is coming soon….”

“Okay dear. How is our ango?”

“Alhamdulillah. He wants it before October…we are still thinking about it.”

“ I feel mine will be around next year. I hope so. May Allah choose what is best for us.”

“Ameen,” Nadia said, “oops, he calls again. Let me hear what he has to say.”

“Just drop my call and answer him, I won’t complain.”

Nadia laughed and ended the call.

“ Assalamu alaikum.” Naairah heard immediately the call ended.

“ Ameen wa alaikum salalm.”

It was Ramat. She came and sat down at the table Naairah was sitting at in the restaurant.

“ So this was your plan, huh?” Ramat began.

“What plan?’

“The last time we talked, you assured me you were not into Hayat.” She said. “ You lied to me, bitch! You tricked me and made me relax.”

“Who said I am into him now?”

“I am not a fool. You keep claiming you are not into him but you let him meet your parents and now a date has been fixed for the wedding.”

Naairah smirked.

“How can a date be fixed for my wedding and I don’t know about it?”

“ You will try until you fall into your grave. Are you denying that you did not send him to your parents?”

“Why are you asking me this? Why not meet him. I have no truck with you. You have no right to be insulting me. I did not know when they planned and went to my house and if you can make them cancel it, and get married to him right now, you will be my greatest helper.”

“ I don’t know the point you are trying to make by acting like you are been forced. I am a woman and I see the impact he has on you. You pretend not to love him, trying to act like you don’t care yet the chemistry between you is vivid.
Both of you are ingrates. My father owns this company and employed you both, only for you to stab him behind him….”

“Did he employ him so he could get married to you? Was I employed so I would say no to him? What are you talking about? You talk as if it is only your father that has a company in the world. I let you say some things without replying back because he thought me to be calm not because you are the so-called heir to the company. I hope you do not cross the line. I got my kind of craziness too.
Why do I need to lie to you? You think I am scared of you? Okay, I love him and it was I who begged him to marry me, and asked him to go to my house and I even chose the date and we are getting married. Satisfied?”

Ramat looked round the restaurant. She did not want to make a scene there.

“You don’t know me.” She said. “ But you would do that very soon.”

“ Thank you very much.”

Ramat got up and left.

Naairah got up and left the place angrily. She got outside and dialled Hayat’s number.

“ I am in front of the restaurant. We need to talk now.”

“ What is ….”He began but she cut the line.

He came down about two minutes later.

“ Ramat just left.” She said .

Hayat sighed.

“That girl….”

“That girl, what? What does she know that I don’t? She said a date has been fixed.”

“What? You did not know?”

“Are you saying it is true? I know nothing about it and how come I am hearing it from her?”

“ Because her father told her. Her father knows my father.”

“ Who fixed the date?”

“ Your father of course. I only begged for a date and they agreed.”

“You begged for a date?”

“Do I have the right or power to choose a date? I made a suggestion, and my father agreed. He and his friends went to your father who sent them to your Uncle, Dr Abbas and the date was fixed.”

“What is the date?”

“10th of March. Just a month away. I see no reason for wasting time. We are all ready……”

What did he just say?

“ No, Miss Sunshine.” Adnan had said. “ I am just nineteen. We will get married on 10th of March, four years from now, insha Allah. Mark that.”

That was four years ago. Why the coincidence? She did not get it?

“Who are you?”

“I am confused now.” He muttered.

“How did you know that date?”

“Know what? Wallahi it was my idea. I never heard it from anyone and no one suggested it. What is wrong?”

She sighed.

“That is the exact day Hayati prayed that we would get married.”

“Well, I had this idea for long. I have a reason for the date. It means a lot to me.”

She did not bother to ask him what the day meant.

“I understand your feelings but please do remember that I am also human. I can never stop you from loving him but remember that I have a heart too. Can you please do me the favour of not calling him Hayati in my presence? Can you just pretend a little to have feelings for me? Just act like a friend at least.
If I had the power to leave you, I would have left because of the things you told me but I am imprisoned by my feelings, captured by your powers and not ready to face facts. I want to be your slave, not because I lack freedom; be your fool not because I am foolish; Be your servant not because I lack a job but for love.
All I ask of you is just that respect for my feelings. You have told me about him but I would appreciate it if you tell me no more about your feelings for him, or call him by his pet name. Can we even stop talking about him? I am not saying you should take him off your mind but keep it because it hurts me.”

She nodded.

“ I will try but I am not making a promise. Sometimes, I don’t know when I say them but I will try. I am sorry if I hurt you. I never intend to disrespect you.”

“ Thank you. I have to go back to work.”

“Same with me.” she said.

“Can I know your shoe size?”

“We don’t have to go through that. Just the nikkah is okay.”

“You talk as if we are in control. These things are inexorable so we better embrace it.”

“I will talk to Aaliyah then before you ask of the size of other things.”

“I will be so glad. Hope Ramat did not threaten you?”

“She said I did not know her but I was going to do that soon. Whatever that meant, I don’t know.”

“I will handle it insha Allah. Shall we?”

“You can go back. I want to get sweets.”

He grinned. He knew that was just an excuse to part with him. It was all about time. She would change. He left her there.

She walked to her car, opened the car door, slid in, bent her head and cried.
March 10!

It has been three months since Naairah started working with Naanan Global services and she was contemplating leaving the place. Why? Hayat would not give her breathing space.
He was crazy over her and her love for Adnan kept growing even in his absence. To make matters worse, Hayat reminded her a lot about him and it hurts her the more.

At a point, she had to investigate him. She found out that he lived with his parents as he claimed and had two elder sisters who were all married. The eldest, Hafsat was living in Saudi Arabia with her husband, while Habibat lived in Jalingo with her husband too.
Hayat was twenty six years old from his certificates. His blood group and genotype was different from that of Adnan. They were not related, their similarities was sheer coincidence.

Another drama erupted when Ramat began to threaten her, calling her all sort of names. She even threatened to get Hayat sacked because her father was the chairman, board of directors. It sounded funny to Naairah.

“What is the blizzard in a teacup all about?” Naairah had said angrily one day. “ What is wrong with you? I am not dating him and he is not dating you so where does the problem lie? How do you fight over a man that says he is not into you? And you are fighting a woman who is not into the man you hope will date you? Can’t you see that something is wrong with you? You better come to your senses before they think you are going barmy.”

Those words hurt Ramat but she sat down to think about it. Hayat never really gave her a chance, he said they could not be lovers and she still hoped something will come up. Now she felt more relieved that Naairah was not interested in him. This pacified her and she relaxed.

Now she sat in the little garden at the backyard, her face resting on her knuckles. She was still trying to assure herself she was not dreaming.
She was summoned by her father that morning, and he asked her to sit down. She sat on the edge of the sofa while he dropped the daily newspaper he was reading.

“ May Allah bless you.” He began.

“ Ameen.”

“ I am so proud of you.” He went on. “ And time as shown that you have grown more matured. I used to tell your mum that.”

“Thanks to Adnan,” she thought.

“ You are my only daughter and you know how much I love you. There was a point in time when you must have thought I was thwarting your joy. The time I tried to stop your relationship with that boy. Now you see the wisdom of the elders. We did not know him, or anything about him. He even jeopardized your life and ours. We nearly got killed. You were too young to understand then…..”

“ I will never grow then because I will never understand.” She said in her mind.

“ Now you are a fully grown woman, and a graduate.” He continued. “ Every patent’s dream is to see their daughter in her marital home. I really want to see you get married before I die. I want to see your wedding day and you seem not to be thinking about it.
Zayyad showed a lot of interest and his father spoke to me about it but I made him understand that you seem not to be interested. Zayyad was present when I said it. I told the father how I tried, what happened and Zayyad confirmed it. I even allowed you to go and work with him just to give that chance but…you were adamant. I would not force you into marriage if you don’t give me a reason to do that.”

“….if you don’t give me a reason to that?” she marked those words. So there was still a possibility of doing that.

“He was very understanding.” He continued. “And we forgot about Zayyad’s proposal. A few weeks ago, some people came to seek permission from me, to allow their son seek for your hand in marriage. I did not mention it to you until I made my investigations.
They are good people and the boy is very responsible. I got back to them that I have given him permission. The rest remains between you two. I will not force him on you but he has my consent.”

Naairah felt her head banging. He was trying to sound calm, like he was given her liberty but she feared his final decision. She was confused. She did not know why she felt Adnan was alive. She felt his heart beats, his breath even though it is from afar. She felt he could pop up soon or later and she wanted him to be the first, and the last, if wishes were horses.

“ I asked him to come and see you today, I guess he would be around later so please wait for him.”

She nodded. She dared not tell him she was not interested and it would be worse if she told him she was waiting for Adnan.

She nodded.

“Thank you Abba. May Allah chose what is best for us.”

He did not say Ameen on time. He could not ask why she said that, it was a prayer but…..he sensed something.

“Ameen.” He said.

As she got up to go out, he said, “ you will chose between him and Zayyad. I think whoever you chose or I choose will be the answer to your prayers. We don’t know what is good for us. Allah does.
Thank God my daughter understands tauheed.”

She said nothing but walked out. She had gotten the message. She felt like bursting into tears.

“ Naairah.” She heard her mother’s cool voice. She turned to see her standing behind her. “ Come to my room now.”She followed her mother to her room. Immediately she entered, she burst into tears and embraced her mother. It took a few minutes to calm her.

“ Stop crying and be strong.” She said. “I know what your father told you. I need you to listen to me. Whatever we do, prayers should be our guide. I understand your plights, and fears. I know how you feel and what you have been going through.
I am a woman and I was once a girl. You never opened up to me, thinking I will not understand with you, but a mother knows her daughter. Remember I was with you when you fell in love with that boy. Allah knows there is no boy I love to have as your husband like him.
That is your wish and mine. What is it is not what Allah destined? What if we are all wrong? We don’t know if he is dead or alive. Even if he is alive, he is nowhere to be found or seen. Remember I spent a lot of money for his search. You know I cried a lot before and after he was shot. The boy is full of mysteries.
We have every reason to be skeptical but my heart felt love and compassion for him. It is over three years now. I want to see you get married. I am not going to force you, but give the boy that is coming a chance. I did my investigations. If I am to advice you, get married to him because I know you don’t have anyone else in your mind.”

She remembered Hayat. No! Hayat would have only made things worst. He reminded her of Adnan and she could never let Adnan out of her life.
She wiped tears off her eyes.

“I trust your judgement Ummi (mum).” She said. “ I have made up my mind. Let him come, I will marry him, whoever he is.”

“Do not talk like that.” She said. “You are making it look or sound as if you are being forced and capitulating to intimidation. I feel you will come to like him.”

“Okay, ma.” She said. “ I will go and wait for him.”

She got up and left the room. She went into her room and cried for almost an hour. She lay there, thinking of her days with Adnan, the best moment of her life, and one she would never forget.
After a while, she made up her mind on what to do.

Now she sat in the garden waiting. She could see the gardener doing his job happily. She wore a simple gown and veil.
A few minutes later, the message came: he was around.
Her heart sank. She wondered who he was, or what he looked like. Did she even care? Would that change anything?

She got up and walked out of the garden, down to the back door and entered the living room where she found him sitting.
Naairah was stuck for a while, then moved and the salam mumbled from her mouth.

He replied.

“ Hayat, you?”

She said and sat down.
He smiled, looking so elegant in his sky blue brocade. This guy had taste when it came to dressing and he knew it.

“ Surprised?”

“ How dare you?”

“ Relax, I am not here to…..”

“Wait.” She wove him stopping. “ Sahura.”she called.

“Na’am.” Sahura answered. She was their teenage house help.

“Come with us.”she said to the girl and to Hayat, she said , "come with me."

She led him back to the garden and asked Sahura to sit afar from them.

“Nice garden.” He commended .” I love gardens.”

“ It was you all this while?”

He nodded.

“ I am sorry if I took you by surprise but Naairah, I am so much in love with you it drives me crazy. And if what I have done is crazy, please forgive me because it is the effect of my feelings for you. It has never been like this with me……”

“Excuse me, Hayat. I appreciate your feelings for me and do not think that I despise you. You are a good man and deserve something good.”

“And I found not something good…I found the best.”

“I am not the best……for you. I may be the best for someone else but definitely not you. I like you and feel you don’t deserve me.”

He paused, as if short of words.

“ Naairah, from the day we met, I noticed your taciturnity. I saw the glitter of pains in your eyes; I noticed the curiosity, doubt, and inquisitiveness. I felt I could help. I wanted to be part of your life and hoped you will give me the chance. Please tell me what wrong you see in me that do not make me deserve a chance.”

She shook her head.

“I am sorry I did not offer you a drink.”

“I am okay.” He said.

“ I will tell you, Hayat.” She said. “ Remember the first day we met, I called you Hayati?”

“I remember.”

“ About four years ago, I met someone. I am going to be straight with you, do you promise to keep this with you?”

“I promise.”

“ I met this guy who was just a year older than I. Our point of meeting was not too good and I despised him from the start….”

“Point of meeting?”

“That part needs no details.”

“Okay.”

“ And fate brought us together and gradually, we fell in love. Our relationship lasted just a few months, but shaped my life forever. He was the best thing to ever happen to me. He was the one who taught me mathematics, and improved my educational orientation, my etiquette, and love life.
He was a guy misunderstood by the world, a star in disguise and a guy with the heart of gold. I was caught up with him in his room for two days and he did not molest me. He was a victim of circumstance, a guy with sense of humour, and slaphappy approach to life a rare genius and someone who deserved love.
I was the only one he trusted….”

“Wait…did he not have a family?”

“No details about that.” She said. “ But I was the one he trusted and opened up to. You said I was using past tense when talking about him. Yes, he promised not to leave me. He promised to be with me on my graduation day. He said he was going to wear a suit but he left.
They took him away. They shot him and he fell into water…..”she was now in tears, “they are so wicked. He did not deserve that. He was not the type to be treated like that. He was a light to the world.

They crashed my life. I never saw him again. We searched for him. My mum spent a lot, searching for him or his dead body, we never found it. He is believed to be dead but…I feel he is alive. I feel his heartbeat, his breath…he told me that our hearts met on a star and I believe it.
Our love was made from above and sent to earth. We had something, something beyond words. I was crying over him when I saw you. I thought it was him, and ran after you but no. Why do you think I hate it when you call me Miss Sunshine? That was what he used to call me and only he deserves to call me that.
I called him Hayati. I hate calling your name because it sounds like his. I was so curious because you remind me a lot about him and it hurts. I can never forget him, or stop loving him or give his love to someone else. I can never!”

He handed a brand new hanky to her, she wiped off tears.

“ I was waiting for him. I was willing to wait for more years but my parents are onto me……”

“Shhhh..” Hayat was now emotional. “ I understand how you feel.” He said with a tears accumulating in his eyes. “From what you just explained, he loved you so much he would not be able to stay away from you. You said he was shot, and no details but he trusted you. He would have found a way to reach out to you….if he was alive.”

“I know but I just feel him. You can’t understand it.”

“ I do.”

“No, you don’t. I feel it…... Adnan lies beneath my heart. The deepest part and most secured part. He cannot be uprooted. Nobody understand what we feel for each other…not even us. I have no reason to say that but I feel him being alive deep down my heart.”

“ Please give me a chance.”

She shook her head.

“ I better marry someone else other than you…..”

“ I will give you what you want.”

“You can’t.”

“Try me.”

“ I have two conditions…….if you can, then I will marry you.”

He paused, fear on his handsome face.

“ Name them.”

She wiped off tears again, took in a deep breath then looked at him.

“ One: when………….”

Damon sat in the living room watching it on TV. It was a program organized by the Grants. A socio-political event and they were all there. Richard (Mrs Grant) and Maria (Mr Grant) were trying to show a perfect and normal family. Then he saw Alicia for the first time in months.
She wore a simple dress which gave room for her protruding tummy. He always dreamt of her carrying his child, having him in her but that was all a dream. Steve was standing right by her side, beaming with smiles. Damon nearly fainted when at a point, Richard pointed at Steve and said, " he is smugly agitated, because he now knows what it feels to have an expectant woman. But he is a very caring almost-father."
And they laughed. Damon felt his hands clench as he saw her smile. So, it was true. Love did not exist. It may have existed on one part but not the both. He loved her, but she never loved him. He closed his eyes in a futile attempt to stop tears.



Immediately Damon opened his eyes in the frosty morning, he found himself wrapped up under a thick woolen blanket. It felt like fur, and so comfortable he closed his eyes again and enjoyed the warmth.
Then he opened his eyes again at once. Where the hell was he? He was on a king-sized bed which looked expensive, made like a royal bed. He saw a wide cubicle which made him thought he was in a clothes store but clothes stores did not have bedrooms. How could one person own such clothes, shoes and bags?

" That's my current-wear room. " Kim said as she stood before the mirror, watching and guessing what he was thinking. " I got my main wardrobe in there." She pointed at a door.

" How the hell did I get here ?" He asked sitting up abruptly, and the blanket was flipped off his body.

" Christ!" He exclaimed and quickly covered his body. " What the hell is going on? Who got me naked?"

She smiled, standing in a state of dishabille, clad only in lingerie and doing only God-knows-what before the mirror.

" You should at least thank me before the barrages of questions."

" Thank you for what?"

" You got yourself drunk, like dead drunk and you messed up, staggering and falling and luckily for you, I found you and brought you here which happens to be my crib. You were so messed up you puked on your clothes. I have never done this for no man. I got you into my Jacuzzi, Pulled up your insalubrious clothes and washed every part of your body. You were not completely gone, you gabbled at least and was sensible enough to call me Alicia. You even tried to dance in your unclothedness. My God! Are these what Alicia has been enjoying? You are so hot....."

" Enough!" He wove his hand. " I need my clothes."

" I can get you something else but who's gonna wash such a mess?" She said and grimaced ," and is that all I get for extricating you? Why are acting like a jerk, Damon? If you are been taciturn because of Alicia, it's all over between you. "

" She thinks I'm dead." He said hopelessly, knowing that was not an excuse to start sleeping with Steve barely a month after his assumed death.

Pain in his heart!
He could imagine Alicia wrapped up in his arm, kissing him and .......no, no, no, no, he could not forgive her for this. This thought was more painful than the gunshot,and the heat in Billy's inferno. But what got into his head that made him get himself so drunk? Has anyone ever thought that intoxicating never ameliorate a problem? You drink and forget your problems, you go sober and find the problems still waiting, so what? Now he got himself in such a mess this girl had seen him in his unclothedness .

" Did you just say she thinks you are dead?"

" She thinks I'm dead."

She smirked.

" If I'm in love with you and you die, will I start sleeping with my ex barely a month after? If there was anything called ghost and your ghost sees me, would you have believed if I say I loved you? I hope you know I'm trying to give you a chance to know what real love is. You jilted me, but I forgave you. I spent long nights brooding, when I imagine you and that slot in bed. It hurt me when I remember how you guys kissed. My ex did not hurt me that much but I never forgave him. You, you married my best friend but I forgave you. Can't you make love to me to at least pacify me, like make me sweat, lose control, scratch your back, get yourself inside my body and soul. Take it all, everything, anyhow you want it, anytime you need it, any place, you don't have to talk, you don't have to ask, just give me that look and I'm at your beck and call. I will give you the code, the secret pass word of my body, only you would have it, only you will own it. I just want to be yours. But if you think Alicia will come back after giving birth to Steve's Child....."

Steve's child!

That word took his senses away he stopped hearing the rest of her tempting words! Tempting? Yes, tempting. He heard Fahad say it was not allowed , in his religion to be in exclusion with an opposite sex, even when you are not in love, and been alone with this girl clad only in sexy lingerie, with her bosom winking at him, he concurred with him. With the sexy words she expressed, making him imagine things, he may have rushed her and given her a dose of a his ferocity, make her scream for help but the phrase 'Steve's child' took all that feelings away.
How could Alicia be this wicked? How could she carry another man's child now? How? Why?

He lay back on the bed, not caring that his body was exposed. He was deep into a dolorous thought, that pain in his head, heart, legs, mouth, everything was back and more excruciating. He closed his eyes, saw darkness, so vast it had no end ; he saw ice, so big there yet there was no warmth; he saw ocean, so deep he kept drowning and never stopped; he saw mountains, so heavy on his head could not move; everything he saw was unpleasant, and against him. He was lonely even in the midst of a zillion people, he was hungry even in the land of food, and was thirsty while he sat on cartons of bottled water. He saw things but nothing was his. He was just an empty shell, a dead cell, a man left with nothing but pains.

But why? What happened to the love we had? Where did I go wrong? What did I fail to do?

" What the hell is wrong with you?"

He heard Kim yell faintly. She must have been talking to him, he was lost, he was gone, he was sitting like a zombie, a paradox that was empty yet full. She sat close to him, held his hand, gave him an affectionate look, he needed it, he wanted to feel loved, wanted to feel needed and she was doing that but what was holding him back? Why was he such a fool? He knew it was over between him and Alicia. He could not have her back after becoming Steve's baby mama. He could never look into her eyes and tell her he loved her again, he could never have her in his arms, he could never forget even if he forgave. So why not take Kim, maybe one day he could learn to appreciate her, and obliterate his paranoia ."I need to show you something." She whispered, running her hand slowly on his chest, recalling how she took advantage of him last night in his drunkenness as she washed him, using two fingers to make circles on his nipple. She dialled a number and put it on loud speaker. While he waited, she ran her fingers over him. He just lay helplessly, not sure if to stop her or not.
What was wrong with him? Why was he feeling like he was cheating on Alicia? Why did he cringe at the touch of another woman. Why was he stupidly loyal? He was a fool , Alicia's fool.

The line connected and she said, " Licia."

" Kim?"

He heard her voice, that voice, the one that stirred his libido, invigorated his adrenaline, which now caused him pains and regret.

" How are you, naughty."

" I'm fine....Kim I have been around for over eight months."

"I know baby but after what happened, I just did not want to see you again."

" I know I hurt a lot of people but I'm sorry. I never did it on purpose."

" I forgive you. I hope Steve does too."

" Steve? Steve is always there for me..."

That pain again!

" I just couldn't understand why he was not so mad at me. When I was in my deepest pain, he always came to comfort me, he never wants anything to hurt me and my child."

" Child?"

" Yes, I'm eight months pregnant."

" Whao!"

" Didn't you see me on TV?"

" No....You and Steve are expecting a child already?"

" Why not come see me."

" I will Licia, so, what is it I hear about Damon been dead."

" So I thought but...Dad said he is alive. I know he is alive."

" Then what happened? Why can't you get back to him? Do you want to give birth to Steve's child before you go back or are you ashamed of
letting him know you are carrying Steve's child?"

" Come see me, and we talk. We are going to Alexander Hamilton's Park. I need to go, Steve is around."

Damon’s hands clenched. He almost talked, yelled but he restrained. It was not easy but he did.

" Okay, but....are you done with him?"

" You mean you still want him?"

" I - I do if you don't want him."

" Damn! You and Steve are one of a kind. He still wants me after everything and you still want him too. Well, the decision is his. If he wants you, fine."

" I will be there and say hi to your Steve."

Alicia chucked.

" I am happy to hear from you." She said and Damon heard Steve say ,“ My love,” before the call ended